Truth or Dare
by dave-d
Summary: Some missions are different than others. Some have unimaginable dangers. Sousuke worried that he might have to rescue Kaname. In truth, someone may need to rescue him.
1. Chapter one

The lights were dimmed somewhat.

True, that made it somewhat more difficult to read the small print; but, Sousuke didn't mind.

He had just finished doing his evening calisthenics routine, and preferred the lights to be somewhat low. He felt more comfortable that way for some reason. The blinds were down, and he made it a habit not to stand too close to any of the windows.

Looking over at the clock on his desk top, near one of the stacks of communications equipment, he frowned. He could delay this no longer. It was time to go over his Japanese History again. There was a test on Monday, and he had promised Kaname that he would study over the weekend. Saturday was almost over, and this was the first time he had picked up a book.

"The Edo Period," he said aloud, holding the History text in front of him. He began to pace back and forth as he read, finding that constant movement made it easier for him to study. He couldn't use that method around Kaname, as it consistently set her off. She thought that people should remain quiet and motionless when they read.

Kaname.

He felt his pulse quicken again. Should he make another trip to the rooftop with his binoculars? He hadn't done that for hours, and the pressure had begun building again. No. She would be alright. If something was going to happen, he would have to be fortunate to be outside performing surveillance at the exact moment things took place. He needed to breath slower and focus on the task at hand.

Danger was a relative thing for the two of them. Kaname was always at risk, being Whispered. Her safety was always an uncertain thing. For him, matters were much simpler. He was in danger when he was under combat conditions. He was at even higher risk when he did poorly on exams.

"The shogunate established a rigid class system, shi-no-ko-sho, in which there was no movement between classes. Shi-no-ko-sho. Warrior farmer artisan merchant. Ranked in that order. " Sousuke carried the book in one hand, as he walked across the room. In the other, he rolled two Chinese stress balls, one with a lacquer phoenix, and the other with a dragon. It was a good way to build agility, relax, and exercise all at once. "Only warriors …'shi'… bushi and samurai… were permitted to carry swords and have family names." Sousuke knew that such men became bureaucrats in the new centralized state.

Sousuke wondered what it would have been like to live in those days. Would he have been Samurai? Did the fact that he used weapons suggest that he had the necessary spirit? No. Probably not. Anyone could get their hands on weapons these days, if they wanted to badly enough. But, just the same, he did follow some of the ways of Bushido. And, he would guard Kaname with his life, the way a warrior would have guarded his Lord.

"There were other classes. They included farmers and peasants… 'no'… craftsmen… 'ko'… and merchants and shopkeepers… 'sho'." Sousuke closed his eyes and tossed the two balls up near the ceiling. In one smooth motion, he caught them both when they descended. Opening his eyes again, he continued to read. "Though ranked lowest on the scale of social status, the merchants were the real power of the increasingly commercial society, and many of them enjoyed a far more luxurious lives than their nominal superiors."

He quickly fell to the ground, rolled, and tossed both of the balls. He had targeted a stuffed animal that Kaname gave him with on projectile. The other had been thrown at an empty milk carton sitting on his kitchenette counter. Both balls hit their mark. Naturally, he could not practice in this manner when he studied with Kaname.

Sousuke had no doubt who ranked lowest on the social scale with her. The Meiji era had led to the abolishment of the caste system in Japan. In the Chidori era, one particular warrior was faced with social upheaval. Kaname was responsible for whatever luxuries he had in life. Those could be revoked at a moment's notice.

"There were also two underclasses. One of them was the Eta … the 'unclean'… those who dealt with the dead. That included butchers and tanners. The other was the Hinin… criminals." Sousuke stopped in front of a mirror he had hung in his room. It was not their for vanity purposes, despite the fact that Kaname often stopped and looked at herself in it when she came to his apartment. Rather, it gave him a view of his door and hallway when he was seated at his couch.

He ran a finger over his facial scar. He tugged at a few locks of hair, which were long enough to draw criticism from Kaname in the next week or so. He used the back of his fingers to rub at the stubble on his cheek and chin. 'Unclean' might be a good term for him at the moment. Not because of the way he was treated by some of his classmates from time to time. Not because of the way that Kaname spoke about him, when he did something that upset her. He could use a shave and a shower.

"An elaborate espionage system…the Kogi Onmitsu… ninja… kept watch on the daimyo. Many warlords had their own spies as well. Ronin were lordless samurai, ones whose masters were killed or committed seppuku." Coming across a list of important dates, Sousuke scanned over them for a few minutes, and then put the book down. He could repeat those facts over and over again while he cleaned up.

"In 1603, the Tokugawa government is established in Edo. 1603. Tokugawa government established in Edo. 1603. Tokugawa government established in Edo." Sousuke turned on the water in the shower, and then began taking off his clothing.

"In 1614, Ieyasu intensifies persecution of Christianity," he said, stepping into the small glass enclosure, the transparent panels fogged by steam. He lathered up and continued trying to memorize important points. "1614. Ieyasu intensifies persecution of Christianity. 1614. Increased persecution of Christians."

After he got out of the shower and toweled off, Sousuke walked over to a small basin sink and opened the compartment behind the mirror. After applying deodorant, he turned a small canister over in his hand, reading what was written on it. Kurz had given it to him, claiming it was the opposite of the stuff they carried in their gear on jungle missions. The latter was used to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects. The former was supposed to attract women, some of whom might turn out to be biters themselves.

"There is no purpose for such a substance," he said, scowling. Why would he wish to attract women? There was only one girl that he cared about, and she was around him quite frequently, regardless of what steps he took in personal hygiene. Staring at the container a bit longer, his curiosity got the better of him. He sprayed some of the 'Axe' body fragrance to see what it smelled like. "It is not unpleasant." The brand name had a martial sound to it. Somehow that seemed fitting.

After that, he took out his shaving equipment and returned to his memorization. "In 1614, Ieyasu intensifies persecution of Christianity. In 1615 The Toyotomi family is destroyed after Ieyasu captures Osaka castle. 1615. The Toyotomi family is destroyed after Ieyasu captures Osaka castle. In 1614, Ieyasu intensifies persecution of Christians."

"In 1638, the country was closed. 1638. Tokugawa Iemitsu closed the country to all foreign countries but China and Holland." Sousuke moved the razor over his face, knocking off the excess shaving cream in the sink water. "In 1638, the country was closed to most foreigners." He knew that the the isolation policy had been called sakoku and lasted until 1853. During the sakoku period, Dejima, a port in Nagasaki city, was the only place that foreigners were allowed to visit

Drying off his face with a clean towel, Sousuke wondered again why he had to learn Japanese History. Even if he were to reside in that country, what good would such knowledge do him? It would not help him in his duty. It would not gain him a suitable job, should he ever choose to leave Mithril. He might be Japanese by ancestry; but, he had spent little time in country.

He had asked Kaname just such a question once. It was good that he waited until he had put the razor away before he remembered the tongue lashing she had given him as a result. He flinched, cringing ever so slightly. When she got going, Kaname Chidori could put any of his instructors from Boot Camp to shame.

"In 1688-1703… the Genroku era… popular culture flourishes." Walking over to a stack of laundry that Kaname had done for him earlier in the week, he selected a clean shirt and put it on. "In 1688-1703, new art forms like kabuki and ukiyo-e became very popular, especially among the townspeople." A pair of trousers followed. He did not bother with underwear or socks. "1688-1703. Genroku era. High point of Edo culture."

Sousuke scratched the back of his neck for a moment. He stared over at a pot on the stove. It was clean. That meant it was empty. So was his stomach. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Should he cook up some instant Ramen? Maybe grab a protein bar or two? The plain rolls were still somewhat fresh.

He often ate dinner with Kaname on Saturday night. When he asked her the day before if he should be the one who arranged for the food this time, she had told him not to bother. She wasn't feeling very well. This would be a weekend of resting in bed and recuperating. When asked if there was anything he could do to help, she had told him that she just needed some time alone.

Thinking about Kaname trumped the rumbling in his belly. For some reason, he had to go up on the roof and take a look at her apartment. At this hour of the night, she should be asleep. If not, she should be in bed with the lights out, watching television.

"In 1792, Russia tried unsuccessfully to establish trade relations with Japan." Sousuke opened a small closet and grabbed a pair of binoculars. "1792. Russians." He slipped his cell phone in his pocket. "Russians. 1792." He then left his room and headed down the hallway, opening the door to an ascending stairway. Checking his pulse, he tried to calm himself as he climbed. "In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived from the United States and forced the government to open ports for trade."

Stepping out into the chill evening air, Sousuke squinted when a sudden gust of wind rushed past him. He shivered a bit, his hair still moist. Walking over towards his usual vantage point, he tried to keep his mind on his studies. "1853. Perry. Four black-hulled steam frigates. A symbol of threatening Western technology and colonialism." There was probably no reason to worry. He had forgotten to grab his parabolic-shaped listening device.

Standing at one corner of the rooftop area, leaning against one of the huge metal air handling systems, he brought his binoculars to his eyes…sighted with them towards Kaname's balcony… and then brought the image into focus.

"That's strange." He held the binoculars in place. Kaname's lights were still on. Could she have fallen asleep, forgetting to turn them off? That was unlike her. He got a lecture any time he left his lights on in the morning. "What could she be doing? Is she alone?" That last question had him swallowing hard and tensing up.

What if she wasn't alone? It would not necessarily be any sign of danger, right? But, she couldn't have someone over at this hour, could she? Not if she was sick.

**"Kaname!"** Sousuke caught sight of her. She was backing away from something, her hands out in front of her. It looked like she was picking things up and throwing them. Suddenly, some unseen person closed the curtains._ "Damn!"_ He let the binoculars fall, suspended by the strap around his neck. Reaching the stairway down, he slid quickly along the railing, running when he put his feet to the floor.

Everything seemed to happen in a blur after that. He made it to his room. He opened his weapons locker. He took out a Steyr TMP; a Glock 26; his taser; and a large bulky device that he threw over one shoulder. He ran out of his building, not taking the time to put anything on his feet. A number of people on the street were shocked to see him run past. One dog cowered at its owner's feet, while another barked loudly, straining at the end of its leash.

"This had better work…" Sousuke squared his shoulders and set his feet, bringing the Tactical ResQmax to his shoulder. He sighted, held his breath, and fired. The device used its non-pyrotechnic air-thrust technology to shoot a line and grappling hook up to the balcony railing. Tugging on the line, he secured the hook and began to scale the climbing rope. "I'm coming…"

The climb wasn't difficult. He had done this kind of thing on numerous occasions, and he made it a point to keep in good shape. His hands and feet were a slight bit chafed when he reached the balcony, but he felt no pain when he swung his feet over and landed on the cement. In any case, he had no time to think about such matters. As it was, he debated whether or not to throw one of the iron porch chairs through the sliding glass door.

"I better not." Sousuke was learning discretion. Finally. The only reason he had made this kind of approach in the first place was because Kaname had not answered her phone.

The door was locked. He put an ear to it. There was a shriek, and someone calling out 'No… don't…' It sounded like Kaname's voice. It was time to act! Taking a pry bar out of his pocket, he popped the door lock, then slid the door open. TMP in hand, he leaped through the curtain hanging in front of the door, ready for any trouble he might find.

Or so he thought…

Had he been working on his English homework instead of Japanese History, he might have found dictionary entries for 'trouble':

**Trouble. **Noun

_1. problems or difficulties in general. _

2. a characteristic of someone or something that is considered a disadvantage or problem.

3. problems or difficulties caused by something failing to operate as it should.

4. problems in the form of arguments, fighting or violence.

5. a situation in which you experience problems, usually because of something you have done wrong or badly

**Trouble.** Verb

_1. to cause someone to have a problem or difficulties_

**Troublesome.** Adjective

_1. causing a lot of problems or worries for someone_

Each and every one of those fit him perfectly at the given moment. He was in trouble alright. Big trouble. And despite what he may have thought before he came bursting onto the scene, he was _not_ prepared for the trouble he found.

Kaname was standing in the middle of her living room area. She looked to be unharmed. She was most definitely not alone. Standing, sitting, or walking, a number of other girls were spread throughout the apartment. Like Kaname, each of them was wearing a look of shock and disbelief. Like her, they were all wearing pajamas.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke felt as if he was hollow, and all of his blood had dropped down to pool at his feet. He started to sweat almost immediately.

This was bad. This was very _very_ bad.

For a moment, it was if they were all part of an anime show on DVD, and someone had hit the pause button. Sousuke stood there in his bare feet, gun in hand, a large grapnel launcher cold against his back. Kaname had her arms up, no longer needing to block the pillow held in Kyouko's hand. The other girls stared at Sousuke, as if a ghost had just passed through the wall of the apartment.

"I…" Sousuke took a step backwards. "I should get back to studying…" He turned quickly, wondering if he could escape before Kaname went volcanic. He knew he would pay sooner or later, regardless.

"Where… do… you… think… you're… going…" Kaname clenched her fists. Her eyes narrowed. Kyouko fell to the floor, trying to move away from her friend. She didn't want to be anywhere between Sousuke and Kaname.

The other girls looked at one another and then sprang into action. Maya and Ryo covered themselves with blankets. Mizuki pulled the collars of her pajama top tightly together and ducked down behind an end table. Ren slowly walked into an adjacent room. The other girls scattered, running and talking in high excited voices. They all wondered why Kaname had just stood their talking with the intruder, rather than shouting at him to get out. Crawling across the floor like a soldier under sniper fire, Kyouko went for her camera.

"Seeing that you are not in any danger, I will return home now." Sousuke, sweat streaming down his face, pulled the curtain back.

"**DON'T**… **YOU**… **MOVE**…" Kaname trembled with rage. She took note of everything within her reach, categorizing them as 'potential missiles', 'possible blunt instruments', and 'too valuable to risk damaging'. She ignored all of the comments and hushed whispering coming from her friends. "Take a good look girls… this may be the last that you see Sgt. Peeping Tom alive."

Sousuke swallowed hard. Kaname's calm exterior was more frightening than her usual tirades were. He had no idea what she might be thinking. He had no desire to find out. Slowing easing the Tactical ResQmax off of his shoulder, he prepared to shout the line over to the building across the alley.

Kaname began walking slowly towards Sousuke, cracking her knuckles and furrowing her brow. "Before I send you back over the balcony, why don't you tell us why you're here, Sousuke?" The flash from Kyouko's camera projected Kaname's shadow on the wall for brief moments. It looked as if some misshapen monster was closing in on the perspiring soldier. "This ought to be good for a few laughs…" In all actuality, she wasn't in the mood for any levity.

Blinking rapidly, Sousuke remembered to secure his weaponry, removing the clips of ammunition. Looking at the various girls, he then focused on Kaname, who was only a few steps away. His eyes stayed mostly on her face. When they instinctively looked down at her chest, he heard her inrush of breath followed by muttered and incomprehensible epithets.

"It was you…" Sousuke swallowed hard. He couldn't help from taking another peek at Kaname. His hands twitched. The grapnel launcher fired, sending the unfolding metal projectile off into the street below. Luckily, it didn't strike anything significant. "I mean… you told me that you would be alone… you were ill… and…"

_"What?" _Kaname stopped.

"The lights were still on, at an hour that a sick person should be asleep." Sousuke worked to retrieve his line before someone took note of it. "The curtains were open… I saw you moving backwards, warding off an attacker… the curtains suddenly closed…" He noted that some of the girls were more interested in hearing the story than they were worried about being seen in their night clothes. "When I made it to the balcony, I heard someone scream, and say 'No… don't…'"

"That's…" Kaname bit her lip. She had lied to Sousuke, not wanting him to foul up this night for her. It had been a mistake, in more ways than one. But, that would not exonerate a certain unwanted visitor.

"I thought you might be in danger, Kaname." Sousuke said. "I had to be certain…"

"Sounds reasonable to me," Maya said, seeing the setting as just another extension of school, despite being in a slightly compromising position.

"Me too," Ryo said, grinning at Kaname, knowing that would infuriate her friend.

**_"What!" _**Kaname put her hands on her hips and turned to face her two friends. "We're minding our own business… enjoying a slumber party… dressed in pajamas, for crying out loud…" She shook her finger at Sousuke, without looking in his direction. "That clueless idiotic intruder bursts in unannounced and uninvited… and you think it's reasonable?"

"You lied to him…" Maya said.

"He thought you were in danger…" Ryo added.

"It's kind of romantic…" Ren put in, head peering out from Kaname's bedroom.

_"Huh?"_ Kaname couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had she fallen asleep without knowing? Was this some kind of nightmare?

"Slumber party?" Sousuke's usual nature tripped him up yet again. Now was not the time to challenge Kaname's choice of words. "But, no one is slumbering?" He clearly looked perplexed. "Doesn't 'slumber' mean a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended? A dormant or quiescent state ? Sleep?"

"Yes," Ren answered helpfully, eyes on Kaname. Her friend was reaching for one of her sports trophies. It had a rather hefty marble base.

"But you were all awake…" Sousuke looked over at Kaname, and then blushed and looked away. Reaching downward for the trophy, she had given him a view down her pajama top. Catching his gaze and response, she began blushing too. She stood up straight, thoughts of violence extinguished.

"Baka..." Kaname turned away from Sousuke. She caught Kyouko's smile and knowing wink. Face burning, she was tempted to throw her friend's camera off the balcony along with Sousuke. "He's going to pay… oh yes, is he going to be sorry… pervert…"

"Sousuke…" Kyouko twirled one of her pony tails in her hand, feeling a little less shy now. "A slumber party is a party for members of the same sex, where everyone stays up late talking and playing games, before they all fall asleep." She smiled. Sousuke had his hand on his chin and paying very close attention. "This is a pajama party, a kind of slumber party. Everyone dressed in bed clothes when they got here. We all brought pillows and blankets with us."

"Ahhh… I begin to comprehend…" Sousuke nodded. Suddenly, he flinched. His eyes went very wide. "Same… sex…" That last word had him staring at each of the girls. "Does that mean that you are all… that you are intending to…"

All of the girls froze instantly. Kaname was the first to find her tongue. "Wh-… Wh-… **_What!" _**She couldn't believe it. With all of the crazy or clueless things that Sousuke managed to say, he kept coming up with things that surprised her.

"I will take that as a 'no'," Sousuke said, swallowing hard. He was glad that was the case. However, by the look on the girls' faces, there could be a price for gathering that intelligence. He suddenly felt like a poorly armed scout discovered behind enemy lines. His rescue came from an unexpected source.

"None of us here are like that," Mizuki said, feeling brave enough to stand up. She kept holding the lapels of her pajama blouse together. "But, that brings up an interesting question about relationships." There was a sparkle in her eyes when she looked over at Kaname.

"That's right," Maya said.

"Uh huh," Ryo said, smirking. "It's kind of interesting, you showing up at Kaname's apartmen, this late at night."

"In your bare feet!" One of the other girls said. She was standing the closest to Sousuke, and took a deep breath, her eyes closed. "Smelling really nice…"

"_Mmmmm-m-m-m-m-m-m_…" All of the girls except Kaname seemed to make that noise all at once. They looked at her, mischief in their eyes. Only Ren looked sedate and uninterested in teasing her friend.

"But… that… he's…" Kaname sputtered. She clenched her teeth, biting off her words. "It's nothing like that…" She had the uncontrollable urge to wring Sousuke's neck. This kind of thing could get really out of hand.

"Sure…" Mizuki nodded.

"OK…" Ryo shrugged.

"We believe you…" Maya gave Kaname an 'OK' sign.

**"NOT!" **The girls all answered at once, and then began laughing.

_"Oooo-o-o-o-oh…" _Kaname's hackles would have been up, if she had any. She walked over and shook her fist at Sousuke. "Tell them, you big idiot! Tell them that this is not the way it seems."

"Affirmative," Sousuke said, feeling a bit edgy and excited at the same time, with Kaname standing that close to him. "Kaname is correct. When I have found it necessary to show up at her apartment late at night, I have always had suitable footwear. Also, to my knowledge, I have never worn this body wash."

"Y-… Y-… You…" Kaname pout her hands on Sousuke's chest and began pushing him out onto the balcony. She didn't know whether to push him off, or jump herself. "You _jerk!" _Under her breath she grumbled "I wanted you to help make things better; but once again, you made things worse."

"I suppose there's one way we could find out for sure," Mizuki said, everyone's eyes on her. "Sousuke could stay for 'Truth Or Dare'.

Kaname began choking. A number of girls shook their heads or waved their arms, but a majority began calling out their assent. Now _that_ would make for a memorable party!

"_Stay?"_ Sousuke's eyes went very wide. He tried not to look at any of the girls. The muttering her heard from them was clear indication that they sensed his weakness, and were gaining their own confidence. This could be worse than he first imagined. "Truth or Dare?" He stiffened his resolve and managed to look up at Mizuki. "Would a game such as that put Kaname in danger?" Maybe it was good that he showed up after all!

"It sure _might,"_ Ryo said, smiling.

"You bet!" Maya said, laughing.

"You too," a girl added. "And the rest of us…"

"The only one in danger is _him,_ if he isn't out of this apartment before I count to ten." Kaname gave Sousuke a very pointed look. "**One**… **two**…"

"Probably afraid of the things we might have her do on a Dare," Mizuki said, knowing that she faced the same risk that any girl there might.

"**Three**… **four**…" Kaname began to look even more uncomfortable.

"Sousuke's an honest guy," one girl brought up. "If he caught her in a lie, he'd tell the rest of us."

"**Four**… I mean, **five**…" Kaname coughed. "**Six**…"

"Uh huh. Our Class Rep and Student Council Vice President is _afraid_." Maya said, shaking her head. Ryo put a hand over her heart. Some of the other girls began whispering amongst themselves.

"Oh, Kaname…" Kyouko made one of her sad and disappointed faces.

"**Seven**… **eight**… **nine**…" Kaname spoke very quickly. Somehow, she felt more stress standing there like that, than she did when she and Tessa were brought before Gauron on the bridge of the TDD-1.

"I will be going, then." Sousuke said, walking towards the balcony. "Do not worry, Kaname. I will _not_ take the other girls' eagerness and your refusal as a sign of cowardice." He primed his grapnel gun and then placed the folded hook in its barrel. "You must have good reasons to fear my presence in this kind of setting."

"_What?"_ Kaname stopped counting, numbers forgotten. Her eyes flashed. "What did you say? _Fear?"_ She marched over to Sousuke, looking him right in the eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, mister. If there is anyone hear who should be afraid, it's you!" Once again, her pride had spoken before her common sense. _"Fine._ You can stay if you want. I don't care. Why should I care about anything you do?"

Ryo and Maya looked at each other and smiled. Kyouko took a few more snapshots.

"If anyone is uncomfortable with the one man Weapon of Mass Destruction being here, raise your hand." Kaname looked around the room. "After all, this wasn't in the plans when I invited you all over." No one dissented in any fashion. "OK. It's settled, then. You'll be staying, Sousuke." Kaname went somewhat pale, hearing those words in her own ears. What had she just gotten herself into?

"Affirmative," Sousuke said. "I will take up a defensive position, and guard you during this dangerous game." Sousuke placed the Tactical ResQmax down, and then took up the TMP. "What precisely _is_ Truth or Dare?"

"You won't need a gun," Ren said, brushing her hair. "Truth or Dare is a game that people play at parties. One player starts the game by asking another player, 'Truth or dare?' If the player answers 'Truth,' then the questioning player asks a question. If the queried player answers 'Dare,' then the questioning player asks him or her to do something. If the player refuses to answer the question, or will not perform the act, then they are subject to punishment."

"I begin to see the hazard," Sousuke said, nodding his head. "One could gather secret intelligence information in this manner. To prevent that, one might have to suffer through torture and interrogation." He looked at each of the girls in turn. As far as he knew, guys did not play such a game. Girls were much more formidable than he realized. "If someone breaks the rules of the game, the results will be tragic."

"It's _already_ tragic," Kaname said under her breath. That had Kyouko patting her on the back.

"Will I be the one to enforce the rules?" Sousuke ran a hand over the TMP. That had a number of girls ducking down or leaning back. A few hurried for the bathroom, fighting to be the first one in. "During the Edo period, Japan utilized various punishments against criminals. These can be categorized as follows: Death penalty. Incarceration and Exile. Penal labor…"

"_Penile_ labor?" One of the girls asked quietly. That had some of the other partygoers hitting her with pillows. A few looked at Sousuke and turned bright read. As usual, he was totally oblivious to the exchange.

"**There**... **will**… **be**… **none**… **of**… **_that_**…" Kaname gave the one girl a frightening glare. Before she could turn and tell Sousuke to stop spouting his foolishness, he continued. Some of the girls looked at one another and sighed.

_Only Sousuke Sagara._

"Understood," Sousuke said, standing straighter. "No penal labor. That makes sense, as there are no prison facilities here." He ran his free hand through his wet hair. "Confiscation of property was another means, as was corporal punishment. "If execution will be necessary, the means utilized in that period included boiling, burning, crucifixion, decapitation by sword, sawing, and waist-cutting. Samurai were often sentenced to commit seppuku in lieu of these forms of punishment." He took out his combat knife and tested the edge.

"**Baka!"** Kaname swung a pillow with all of her might, aiming for Sousuke's head. Before she knew it, he had dodged, and she was overextended. Falling, she was caught by Sousuke. His hand clutched one of her breasts momentarily, causing him to stumble backward in reaction, tripping over a pile of blankets. "I was going to say there was no need for that kind of stuff," she growled. "But…" She blushed, seeing all of the other girls staring at her, wondering what caused her to turn red this time.

"None of that will be necessary, Sousuke." Ren spoke in a very sweet voice, watching as Sousuke managed to get back to his feet. "It's a game played amongst friends. There are no laws involved."

"And it's not the Edo period!" One of the girls near the fringe of the group made a face. She had already had her fill of Japanese History, studying for class.

"I stand corrected," Sousuke said. "As I intimated previously, I was in the process of studying before I came to Kaname's rescue."

"Also, you won't be the one issuing punishment," Mizuki said.

"That's right," Kyouko added. "We _all_ will. You'll be playing the game, just like the rest of us."

"As you wish," Sousuke said. He looked around the room again. "I see that I am the only one not dressed in night clothes? Will that somehow place the rest of you at an unfair disadvantage?"

"Yes, it will!" Mizuke spoke before anyone else could answer. A rather wicked idea had come to mind. "This is a pajama party; but, you aren't wearing pajamas." She winked at Maya who nodded, and then nudged Ryo.

"That's right," Maya said. "I will feel too embarrassed to play, unless you are dressed like we are."

"Me too," Ryo said, handing her head and putting a hand to her forehead in dramatic fashion.

"Understood!" Sousuke stood at attention. "I shall return home… change my attire… and make my way back to these coordinates."

"Good idea," Kaname said. "Return at sunrise. The game won't get started until then."

"Kaname?" Sousuke cocked his head.

"She's just joking," Mizuki said. "And, we can't wait for you to run home and come back." She smiled over at Kaname.

"True," one of the other girls said. "It's getting late as it is. I brought a spare top with me, just in case we were going to do anything messy." Seeing that she was big busted, her pajama top would likely fit him. "You smell like you're fresh out of the shower. I don't mind if you wear it."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke began to sweat. The pajama top was pink in color, with fancy frillwork.

"**No way!"** Kaname began blushing again, picturing Sousuke in various states of dress and undress.

"I have a spare set of pants," another girl said. She was somewhat stocky. Her pants would fit.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke eyed the pants like he was staring down a cobra about to strike. They were peach in color, decorated with a green teddy-bear motif.

"**That's ridiculous!"** Kaname stomped her foot. Not paying attention where she stepped, she brought her weight down on an unopened bag of potato chips. The bag burst and tossed its contents out onto the rug. "Sousuke will _not_ be putting on your pajamas!"

"Why not?" One of the generous girls asked.

"Jealous?" Mizuki asked. "What's wrong? You wanted Sousuke in your pajama top and pants?" That had everyone 'ooohing' and 'awwwing,' looking at Kaname.

"No… of course not… I…" Kaname couldn't believe that any of this was happening. She had been very secretive. Sousuke never found out about the party by word of mouth. Things should have gone off without a hitch!

"I will do whatever is necessary," Sousuke said, holding up his hand. Kaname looked uncomfortable. Perhaps she had self esteem issues, and did not want anyone to know that her frame was large enough for him to wear her clothing. He took a moment to look her up and down, swallowing hard when he realized what he was doing. He would not be able to fit in her night clothes. "The guys at school often comment on their desire to get into a girl's pants. I did not understand the reference."

Kyouko dropped her camera. Maya began choking on a chip she had swallowed. Ryo spat out her sip of soda, spraying Mizuki's shirt.

"Your offer is appreciated," Sousuke said to the girl with the peach-colored pants, trying to appear brave despite his serious misgivings. "I will try to get into your trousers." He turned to the other girl. "I will get into your blouse."

The two girls slowly fell over, like huge redwood trees hewed completely across. Other girls rushed to place pillows and cushions beneath them to soften their fall. If Sousuke's words even made it to school…

"**SOUSUKE!"** Kaname frowned, realizing how loud she had been. She wondered what brought that on. It must have been her sense of propriety. There's no way it could be jealousy or anything like that.

"Yes, Kaname?" Sousuke hoped that Kaname would veto the entire idea. It was beneath a Specialist's dignity to dress up in this fashion, unless a mission called for it. What kind of operation could ever require a male soldier to wear female attire? But, he would do whatever he had to do. He had crashed this party. He was an honorable man. Just the same, he couldn't picture a samurai from the Edo period donning the robes of a woman.

"You… I… well…" She knew that everyone was staring at her again. "Just go get dressed, you big idiot." She shook a finger at him. "I want your word of honor, first. Don't ever tell anyone about this. Not anyone. _Ever!"_

"I promise, Kaname." Sousuke said. He looked over at Kyouko. "I would therefore hope there will be no photographic evidence." He froze. What would happen if Kurz and Melissa got their hand on pictures of him dressed in the required fashion? They would be all over Da Danaan, if not Merida Island!

"OK…" Kyouko smiled. Behind her back, she had her fingers crossed. She flipped the switch on her camera, turning off the flash.

"Uhhh…" When Sousuke was holding the offered clothing, he began to sweat again.

"What's the problem, Sousuke?" Mizuki smiled. She was still somewhat mortified, being around a boy in this situation. But, it was only Sousuke. She had spent one whole night training him to be that jerk Shirai. In some way, that made things okay.

"I just remembered something," Sousuke said. "I am not wearing anything under my shirt or pants…"

"_Oooooo-ooo-oo-oh…"_ A number of the girls began with their hushed whispering again.

"That's a little more information than I needed to know," one girl said.

"Do you usually dress like that around Kaname?" Ryo's question earned her another glare from her friend.

"Anyone have a spare set of panties?" Maya's question had Sousuke dropping the pajama top and bottom.

"How about a bra?" That was Ren. Her saying something like that had everyone else stunned. She just shrugged and smiled angelically again.

Sousuke scooped up the clothing, hurdled a seated girl, and then ran for the restroom. He had to act before the mission parameters were changed any further. When he returned, feeling self conscious, he weathered a long round of laughter and catty comments. After that, he thought the worst of it was over.

He was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

"Doesn't Sousuke dress up real pretty?" Maya asked, prompting more wry comments.

"But, he still isn't ready." Ryo held up her hand and wriggled her fingers.

"That's right!" One girl grinned, reaching for her purse. Soon, some of the other girls were doing the same, holding up various bottles and compacts.

"_Geeez_…" Kaname closed her eyes and sighed. Muttering to herself yet again, she said "Not this…"

"It's time for your make-over," Mizuki said. She went on to explain that the girls had all done each other's fingernails, and had spent time putting on make-up for fun.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke looked for the Tactical ResQmax


	2. Chapter 2

The combined chatter of a room full of girls was rather dramatic.

Sousuke found himself sweating, struggling with his Fight or Flight response. Worse, it was like showing fear in front of a dog or a more seasoned Arm Slave adversary.

When he had made his unexpected entrance, many of the girls had run from the room, slid deep inside their sleeping bags, or jumped under blankets. Now, like wary predators sensing an easy kill, they had crept out to form a ring around the besieged soldier.

"Just the toenails," Maya offered, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "The hot pink would look so cute on you." At the moment, it was her turn to hold the Bonta-Kun doll. "If you like, we can try it on Bonta-Kun first, and see which color you like best."

"**Maya!"** Kaname grabbed the stuffed animal, cradling it in her arms. For a moment, she looked over at a pistol that Sousuke had placed on her end table. If it had rubber bullets, maybe he would let her borrow it. Frowning, she tried to purge her mind of that kind of thought.

She had definitely spent too much time around Sousuke.

"Cute is _not_ a word used by Sp-…" Sousuke clamped his mouth shut. To this pack of females, he was simply a student. He most definitely was not a Sergeant or a Specialist. "Negative. My toenails are effective in their current condition."

"But, I have glitter!" Ryo almost began giggling, seeing the expression on Sousuke's face. The girls were beginning to realize just how uncomfortable Sousuke was feeling. That was fun. It held so much promise.

"Negative," Sousuke said, sitting cross-legged, feet beneath him. He kept a close eye on the group of girls, all of whom seemed to be migrating nearer to him by the minute. All seemed to be holding beauty accoutrements of one type or another. That worried him more than a gang of street toughs armed with switchblades and saps. "I fail to see how this would contribute to the game you described."

"It's about making everyone feel comfortable together," Kyouko said, her eyes sparkling. She watched as a hamster ball rolled across the blanket-strewn floor, the furry little inhabitant working overtime. "You can't be one of the girls; but, _this_ will make everyone feel safe." If she could get pictures of Sousuke undergoing a make-over, she would be set for life. Nothing could ever top _that._

"I won't feel safe as long as Sousuke is here…" Kaname scowled and tossed her hair. Deep inside, however, she was more concerned for him than she had been for the Bonta-Kun doll. For some reason, she also felt anxious, seeing how much attention the other girls were giving a certain misplaced military miscreant.

That response had a number of girls striking Kaname with pillows. Even the partygoers who had originally been adamant about excluding boys were watching breathlessly, wondering if the group of them could stage a coup like this.

"I know you care about _Kaname's_ safety," Mizuki said to Sousuke. She smiled, seeing the look on Kaname's face. "Why should _we _be any different? We're girls too. And, some of the others are your classmates." She winked at a number of girls. "That is… unless you protect Kaname for a _different_ reason…" She smiled, like a cat sizing up a canary. Sousuke's eyes had widened ever so slightly. "Maybe because you love her…"

"**No!"** Sousuke answered 'No' as much to contradict the unasked question about his being a soldier, as he did to deny his feelings for Kaname. After all, he didn't love her, right? He didn't even know what love _is_. That didn't explain why he felt so uneasy, however. "I do _not_ love Kaname Chidori."

"Of _course_ he doesn't. Ah hah hah hah hah ha-a-a-a-a-h." Kaname's classic laugh had the girls smiling. "Why would someone like that big idiot love me? And why would I even _want_ someone like that to feel that way about me?" Kaname tried to convince herself as much as anyone else. Nevertheless, she whispered to herself: "Big stupid head."

"I see…" Sousuke sat very stiff and still. "I will take note of that." He nodded his head. "Perhaps I will learn useful intelligence here tonight."

"But…" Kaname went pale, briefly. Then, she put on a disinterested look and said "That's supposing it's possible for someone like you to learn _anything."_

Instinctively, the girls crowded Sousuke even more, causing him to scoot backwards some, blocked from further retreat by the side of Kaname's couch. He felt like a missionary surrounded by cannibals, or a lone wildebeest being stalked by a group of hyenas. For a moment, he was tempted to mention that latter observation. His unconscious desire for self-preservation stopped him at the last instant.

"Just the nails, then." One girl said, pursing her lips. Her voice was a low purr. It sent chills up and down Sousuke's spine.

"Or some lip gloss," another girl added, on her hands and knees. She ran a tongue over her teeth.

Kaname clenched her fists for a moment, and then stopped. It didn't matter that she could see down the one girl's blouse. It pretty much didn't matter that Sousuke must be able to do the same. It was Sousuke's turn to be distracted to the point of mental breakdown. That was good. He caused her to feel the same way more often than any sane person could stand.

Still, she found herself looking over at Sousuke's pistol again.

"Eye shadow," Ryo offered, holding up an applicator. "Or some nice toner."

"She's right. Mascara." Mizkuki studied Sousuke's troubled face. "We should probably work on your foundation, too." Sweat it, mister. _This_ will teach you to kiss me without any invitation!

Sousuke reached out his hand automatically, as if he was in Arbalest. In the ARX-7, he would have toggled a communications switch, radioing for back up or air support. He swallowed hard, seeing that his hand was actually stretching out near the one girl's neckline. That had the two of them blushing, and the girl falling flat on her stomach, legs in the air, pretending that she hadn't been bothered.

Kaname growled quietly in her throat. She stopped, reminding herself that this was all OK. _Right?_

"We could put a concealer on over that scar," Ren offered, giving Sousuke a polite apologetic look. She smiled, seeing how well he was taking things. "We all brought cream and powder blushes, too."

"I've got a number of shadow pencils," one girl said, feeling somewhat eager. "I also brought a selection of hair gels." On her knees, she shuffled closer and closer to Sousuke.

Sousuke struggled to find a solution. What would he do, trapped behind enemy lines, hounded by a numerically superior force? What alternatives would he have, encircled by a force of less capable Arm Slaves? How had he survived in some of his earliest training sessions, amongst men that saw him as an infidel and a source of amusement? The sweat falling off of his chin and brow was leaving countless wet spots on his borrowed pajama top.

"In the Edo era, most women did _not_ make up their faces. If anything, women made up their faces with white face powder. That was the image of beauty in that period." Sousuke looked at a number of lipstick containers rolling across the floor. Light glinting off of them, they reminded him of spent cartridges. "Many Japanese forget about this. Also, in the Edo era, a woman's standard characteristic was to be still." That didn't stop the girls from sliding nearer. "Women who spoke in a loud voice were considered bad. "

"You mean like Kaname?" Kyouko asked.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke knew better than to answer _that_ one. Just the same, as he didn't quickly answer 'no', he was effectively damned.

"Loser," Kaname said under her breath. She cracked her knuckles without knowing she did so. Someday, there would be pay back.

"What kind of lipstick should we use," Maya asked, ignoring Sousuke's history lesson. Her eyes seemed to glow with a demonic light, much the way the eyes of the rugby team had when they were annihilating their long time rivals.

"_Moisturizing!"_ Ryo asserted. "It will make his lips soft. That might be important later…" That had a number of the girls looking at one another, hands coming to their mouths. Who knows what might happen in Truth or Dare.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke wondered just what that meant.

"Hey… that's…" Kaname began to see the full weight of the issue and hand. Her pride might have gotten her much more than she had bargained for.

"I think he would do well with a satin or sheer lipstick," one girl put in, wondering if she would have the courage to take any 'Dares' during the upcoming game.

"_Frosted,"_ Maya said. "I think Sousuke would be the bomb, with beautiful, shimmering lips."

All of the girls laughed, and began talking loudly together. Many of them had been teased, harassed, or just plain bothered by the boys at school. No small number of them had been peripherally caught up in some of Sousuke's escapades. This was a wonderful way to get revenge for any number of injustices.

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked intense. "Bomb?"

"It…" Kaname hid her face behind the stuffed animal. "How can someone be so clueless?" Her words were muffled. She thought back to the time when that Mardukas guy had come to the school, berating Sousuke for not knowing any of the popular music groups. "Moron."

"Thinner or smaller lips look best with brighter, more vivid colors," Ren added, helpfully. She held up a couple of her favorite lipsticks.

"Uh huh. No dark colors. That would make his mouth look severe and harsh." Kyouko took a few pictures of the girls advancing on Sousuke. The look on his face was priceless. After that, she took a few of Kaname. Those were priceless too.

"Like Kaname," Mizuki said, causing the girls around her to laugh. She ducked when the Bonta-kun came sailing towards her head.

The girls crowded closer and closer to Sousuke. They called out types of cosmetics, followed by color choices and brand names. To the cornered soldier, it was as if an advancing enemy front had gotten close enough so that he could see the whites of their eyes. Any moment now, they would fix bayonets and charge.

Kaname began to grow more irritated by the moment.

It shouldn't really bother her that Sousuke had become the center of attention at her party, but it did. Likewise, there was no reason for her to feel her temper wearing thin, just because a number of her friends were leaning closer and closer to Sousuke. No. None of that was really important. The problem was Sousuke. Right. That's it. Sousuke. The big jerk would probably do something otaku or dangerous soon. She just _knew_ it. That was the only reason to nip things in the bud.

"I think that's enough…" Kaname stood with one foot up on an old worn ottoman. She spoke as if she were the captain of an old time sailing ship. "We're wasting too much time on that idiot. It's getting late…"

She was clouted with pillows again. Before she knew it, a half dozen girls were sitting on her. "Hey… let me up… what are you _doing?"_ She tried to lift herself off the ground but couldn't. "There's no time for this. We should _mrblfbgl brglmrphlbr grblmrbrlgrph_" Someone had rolled up a long woolen sock and placed it in her mouth.

Sousuke put his hand on the TMP. He took it off, trying to remain calm. It would be difficult to make an effective apology after shooting someone with a short burst of 9x19mm Parabellum. He put his hand in one pocket, brushing a finger against the pull ring on a concussion grenade. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. That was out too. In this enclosed area, the shock waves produced by this grenade would be greater than those produced by a fragmentation grenade.

Kaname would not appreciate the damage such a device might cause to her furnishings.

"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see Mizuki?" Sousuke movement had caught her eye. She grinned as Mizuki turned bright pink. A number of the other girls couldn't help themselves. They peered at the asymmetric bulge in Sousuke's pajama bottoms, before looking away.

"_Mrblgrbl mrphllgrb frblgrb!"_ Kaname couldn't get the sock out of her mouth.

"Kaname?" Sousuke arched one eyebrow. Just what kind of party game was this? He sighed. Girls were definitely more difficult to understand than the hydraulic system of an M9 or the ARX-7. "Are you saying I should take it out and _show_ them?"

That had most of the pajama-wrapped young ladies imagining something rather risque. A couple of them teetered, and then fell over.

"**NRBL!" **Kaname almost managed to escape from her confinement.

"Well, at Kaname's insistence, then." Sousuke slowly reached inside of his pocket. "I realize that it is larger than the situation might warrant. However, the size it not what matters. It is how one uses such a thing."

Most of the girls turned away. Some, however, shocked themselves by looking on. Mizuki had gone as white as a sheet. Kyouko had aimed the camera, and was taking pictures with her eyes closed. Maya was looking out through a crack in her fingers, hands covering her eyes. Ryo was looking to see if Maya was peeking.

There was a concerted sigh of relief when Sousuke held out the U.S. model MK3A2 grenade. "We are comrades here, tonight." He nodded affably. "As such, I will let anyone handle it who wishes, as long as they do not cause it to explode." He wondered why most of the girls turned red hearing that.

"I… well… _ahem_…" Maya cleared her throat. She took the grenade in hand after it had been passed around the room. Somehow, she felt very dirty. Putting her finger through the ring, she smirked. "Now that I have this, will you surrender?"

"I will do whatever you wish," Sousuke said, not wanting things to escalate. He had fought his way through many hostage situations, never quite understanding how the captives must feel. Now, at a slumber party, he got his first inkling of the psychological terror and oppression. "However… I have one stipulation."

"OK," Ryo said, acting as if she had the right to speak for the others.

"If it's nothing perverted." Mizuki looked down her blouse, and then drew the lapels closet together with her hand.

"Unless it involves Kaname." Maya smirked at her trapped friend.

A number of the other girls rushed to give their consent.

"I think we should hear what his stipulation is, first." Ren was the voice of reason. "We might not want to accept it." She could only wonder what kind of thing Sousuke might come up with. It amazed her no end, seeing how her fellow girls were reacting. It was like someone had spilled some blood in a shark tank. She had seen her father's enforcers get worked up into this kind of frenzy, just before a raid on a rival gang's territory. But, that was their job.

"That is wise council," Sousuke said. "The time you spend around his Excellency has done you well." His words had Ren blushing and lowering her eyes, thinking of the Student Council President. "It is reassuring, seeing that girls can actually think in a rational and logical manner." That had a number of the girl's narrowing their eyes. "Perhaps you should take note, Kaname."

Kaname managed to push off of the ground, dislodging the people sitting on her. She threw the wet sock over her shoulder, unconcerned that she knocked over a large flower-filled vase with it. "S-S-Sousuke…"

"I can understand how you all might wish to have me conform to your group. Miss Tokiwa mentioned comfort. To be fair, I should be made to feel more comfortable myself." Sousuke swallowed hard. It was difficult for a trained operative to admit he was feeling uneasy in this kind of setting. "So, if I should be made to look like those that you are used to…" He reached over and opened a small satchel he had brought with him. He took out a number of jars and began unscrewing them. "You will need to apply these to your faces."

"What is it?" Maya asked, arching one eyebrow.

"_All_ of us?" Kyouko put her camera down. Suddenly, things weren't quite as much fun.

"**No way,"** one girl said. ""Who knows _what_ that is." Other girls began piping up as well.

"I see," Sousuke said, cocking his head. "I man is expected to be heroic, but women are free to hide behind cowardice and double standards. Disappointing. I doubt that Kaname would be so craven. She has shown great courage in the past." He held the jars out to Kaname.

"Don't be stupid, Sousuke!" Kaname was about to dress him down, but stopped. She rubbed the back of her neck for a moment. She was a Class rep. She was the highest ranking member of the Student Council present. If the duty of defending the honor of womankind fell on anyone, it was her. "I mean… what_ is_ that stuff?"

"Camouflage paint," Sousuke answered. "Historically, in the Edo era, ninja were masters of camouflage, concealment, horsemanship, explosives, and poisons. Today, some of those methods remain useful to the modern commando."

"Just a different kind of make-up," Mizuki said, turning her nose up. "_Right_ girls?" The other girls all nodded their heads, some of them feeling a bit annoyed at Sousuke's comments. This was an issue of pride now.

"If that is the case, then you will not mind using it?" Sousuke stared at Mizuki. As the girl stammered, he turned to Kaname. "Well? Kaname?"

"Oh… just give me that stuff…" Kaname grabbed the jars from Sousuke. She looked around the room, meeting the eyes of the other partygoers. The message was clear. If she put some on, _everybody_ would. "I don't know how I got talked into doing this…" Sticking her fingers into grey paint, she smeared it on her cheeks, wrinkling her nose at the smell. _"Next!"_

Maya and Ryo sighed. There would be a price to making Sousuke up. Well, it was all for a good cause! They put on the camouflage paint with good graces, and then worked on a squirming Mizuki who was pinned to the ground by a bevy of other girls. The other pajama-clad ladies painted their faces one by one.

"OK. Now for Sousuke." One of the girls stood up, joined by a dozen more. They looked like a squad of female commandos, as much as a group of girls in night clothes could.

"Not yet," Sousuke said. "You made me dress in clothing of and embarrassing nature." She scratched his head. "The pants and shirt clash. That is inexcusable in a standard issue uniform." He wondered what made him say that. A number of the girls grinned and began snickering. "You all look very professional in your face paint. I applaud you. But, there is more you will need to do to balance our tally sheet."

"Huh?" Maya frowned. "_What_ more?"

"It better not be something weird." Ryo put in.

"Or dangerous," Ren added primly.

"I will need for you to act like the people that I work with on various occasions." Sousuke looked over at Kaname. She should be able to place the references easily enough. "First, one of my comrades has a habit of bragging on a routine basis." He was thinking of Kurz. "He always commends himself over his frequent… and fictional… conquests over women." He nodded. "You must talk about your victories over boys, real or confabulated."

"We were going to do that _anyway_, more or less." One girl shrugged. If anything, this would make it easier.

"Good," Sousuke said. "Kaname, as you seem to show a distinct lack of interest in boys, you may wish to embellish your meeting with Fuwa-sempai. Or, you might consider Satoru Sirai."

"_Oooo-ooo-oo-oh_…" The girls were eager for anything they could use in gossip.

"Sousuke…" Kaname began clenching her fists again. Of course she didn't show any interest in boys. How could she, when she had a Mithril albatross hanging around her neck! Her anger gave way to discomfort. Truth be told, that might not matter, seeing how most of the guys she came across tended to see her as some kind of idol. She found herself staring at Sousuke for a moment, before she felt her anger growing again. "You know I don't…"

"If you and Kaname cannot _both_ speak about Shirai, you might choose Tsubaki Issei." Sousuke looked over at Mizuki. "You can disregard the fact that he calls you 'that clinging leech' when you are not around."

"_Aaaaaa-aaa-aa-ah_…" Gossip was great. In some ways, nicknames were even better.

"For you, I would recommend OnoD," Sousuke said to Kyouko, disregarding the murderous look on Mizuki's face. "Kaname has told me that you think Onodera is cute. Shinji, in his nerdish way, might also be a good choice, or so she has implied." He didn't understand why Kyouko looked ready to faint, or why she turned to look at Kaname as if she had just flushed out an enemy operative.

"_Mmm-mmm-mm-m…" _Crushes. Betrayal. Tension. Great stuff!

"_Sousuke_…" Kaname began flexing her fingers. Making a decision, she picked up a pillow and began dropping nearby heavy objects into its case.

"Miss Kojima. Miss Mukai. The choices for you should be simple, since it seems you are interested in the same boys. However, you may be unaware of that fact, if Kaname is correct." Sousuke went on to rattle off a pair of names. Maya and Ryo shot daggers at each other, before glaring over at Kaname.

_Ohhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h_…" Things kept getting better and better. Viva Sousuke! Sagara for Class Representative!

"**_Sousuke_**…" Kaname swung the pillow back and forth. It was now misshapen, and metal objects jangled inside of it. A number of girls quickly moved away from Sousuke.

"And Miss Mikihara, your choice should also be straightforward. Atsunobu Hayashimizu is a good man. I do not understand why Kaname says that you are interested I keeping such information secret." Sousuke looked puzzled. "You should be proud of your choice. He is a fine example for all of us. And, since she told me, it is by definition no longer a secret…"

None of previously chatty girls made a sound this time. Ren was so quiet and so universally loved, that no one could take any pleasure from her discomfort.

"**_SOUSUKE!"_** Kaname swung the pillow with all her might. It sent a seated Sousuke tumbling end over end, leaving him with legs akimbo, upside down against the far wall. She turned to face her friends, expecting their gratitude and admiration. Instead, a number of the other girls picked up pillows.

"**K-A-N-A-M-E-!" **The girls all called out at once and charged. Before Kaname knew it, she was being pummeled by pillows and rolled up blankets. "How could you tell Sousuke our secrets!"

The room erupted into a storm of pillows. Each of the girls who had their secrets told to the others got in on the action, and feathers were flying everywhere. But, most of the girls were left speechless, their eyes wide and their tongues protruding.

Something moved in a great flash. Pillows were knocked from hands or sliced apart with a knife. A somersaulting form crouched, grabbed Kaname, and pulled her out of the swirling melee. Carrying her in his arms, Sousuke tripped over a girl who was walking out of an adjacent room to see what the commotion was all about. He ended up sprawled on top of Kaname in a very awkward and compromising position.

"**Get off of me, you molester pervert!" **Kaname kneed Sousuke where a guy should never be kneed. Cross-eyed, he rolled off of her, once again wounded in the line of fire.

"_Oooph_… Kaname… it was nothing like that." Sousuke groaned. "Just like in Khanka, when I jumped on top of you while you were in your undergarments."

"S-…" Kaname couldn't get a word out. "S-…" Yes, she remembered that whole adventure. How could anyone forget such a thing? But, the way that Sousuke put it sounded really bad. "S-…"

"Omigosh," Maya said, grinning. "So this wasn't the first time."

"I guess that explains why Kaname and Sousuke were gone so long, and why they didn't fly back with the rest of us." Mizuki's remarked.

"Maybe that's why Kaname ended up in the hospital, too." Ryo nudged her Maya with her elbow. It was fun seeing the usually unflappable Kaname Chidori in a situation like this. "Sousuke must be an animal…"

"_Mmmmmm-mmm-mm-m…" _The girls all chuckled. No one had ever seen anyone sweat like Sousuke was. It was like he just walked in from the rain.

Kaname didn't know whether to be angry or mortified. She also didn't like the way that some of the girls had started to look at Sousuke. Most of them had been upset when he arrived. They had thought poorly of him, since all they knew of him was rumors, and what they saw of him at school. But now, his status was growing by leaps and bounds. At her expense! Oooh!

"It was nothing like that!" Kaname stomped her foot. "I was kidnapped. They had me strapped down to a stupid machine in my underwear. If Sousuke didn't show up with a gun, they would have done all sorts of experiments on me." Her need to exonerate herself clouded her thinking. "Then, when the big otaku idiot got into an Arm Slave and _grblmrph flrbl grphmrgl."_

Sousuke put his hand over Kaname's mouth. If she was going to talk about Arm Slaves, she might well mention Mithril. "_Eee-oww_…" His finger was being bitten. "Kaname. That hurt."

"Good!" Kaname pushed her hair out of her face. Sensing that everyone was looking at her, she glared at the other girls in turn. **_"WHAT!"_**

"Kaname, I believe that your shouting at this hour of the night would be considered rude, if your neighbors are indeed attempting to sleep." Sousuke used the sleeve of his pajama top to dab at the moisture on his forehead. He took a step back, seeing the look on Kaname's face. "Also, your attack on me with the pillow served as an interruption to the official proceedings. My rescue of you has also prolonged things. You need not waste additional time by thanking me for saving you."

"I… you…" Kaname began turning red for a different reason.

"You are welcome, Kaname." Sousuke turned to face the knot of girls, unaware of the fact that a number of partygoers were restraining Kaname. "We were in the middle of negotiations. There is a person I was once very anxious around, but learned to be comfortable in her presence. As a result, I would want all of you with long hair to put it up in a ponytail. Having done so, you should play with in continuously. You should also speak in a sweet and somewhat timid voice, different than Kaname's sporadic shouts and bellows."

"Bellows…" Kaname almost managed to break free. Kyouko's flash was going off repeatedly.

"Hey, I think I know who you're talking about." Ryo snapped her fingers. She looked at the girls from her homeroom. "Tessa. Remember, the girl who came to visit the school?"

"That's right," Maya said, eyes filled with mischief. "The one who has a special relationship with Sousuke." She looked over at Kaname. "Or so we were told, out by the pool…"

Each of the girls who had met Tessa spoke up, telling their fond memories of her. That was one more thing that didn't sit well with Kaname.

"I remember thinking that Kaname had a rival," Kyouko said impishly.

"**Kyouko!"** Kaname looked aghast at her pig-tailed friend.

"Maybe Sousuke is some kind of gigolo, or something." One girl said. That had everyone whispering again.

"Negative," Sousuke said. "This is _not_ the Edo period. And, I am not a feudal lord. Some of them had many concubines. One Shogun had more than sixty children. Although, he _did _have one favorite woman. It was because he won every battle that he fought in, when she was near."

"Like when you're around Kaname?" Mizuki made a face at Kaname. Sousuke's mention of Shirai still didn't sit well with her, even though she knew that Kaname never had any interest in the creep.

"Affirmative," Sousuke said. "And Tessa as well." He was merely answering the question. He did not make a connection between that and the topic of concubines. Naturally, it was the subject of battle that had his attention.

"_Ahhhhh-hhh-hh-h_…"

Kaname bit her lip. Then, she grew angry at herself. Why was she getting all worked up over this nonsense?

"Really?" Maya asked. "Sousuke, did you ever fall on top of Tessa the way you did on Kaname?"

"Negative," Sousuke answered without thinking. "She fell on me and wouldn't let me up. At the beach." He rubbed his chin, remembering another stressful situation involving the diminutive Captain. "She also got into my bed when she and Kaname were sleeping over." He sighed. "The reason for such behavior escapes me."

"Both of them were sleeping over… at your place…" A girl began fanning herself with her pillow.

"It wasn't like you think…" Kaname broke free. "I only stayed over so that nothing happened between the two of them. It was a favor to Sousuke!"

"I _bet_ it was," Ryo said, winking at one of her friends.

"Sounds like she was worried," Maya said. "Maybe even jealous."

"We're certainly going to have a lot of things to ask about during the game," Kyouko said.

"How is that?" Sousuke asked. "If I follow your thoughts correctly, you are all mistaken. Neither Kaname nor Cap-… Miss Testarossa… are like the women from the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter that was established in the Edo period."

"That is true," Ren said, well versed in Japanese history and tradition.

"Huh?" Maya made a face.

"Pleasure quarter?" Ryo said.

"The training and regulating of ladies as professionals in the art of… uhhh…pleasing men is an old tradition in Japan, dating at least from the early 17th century." Sousuke watched the various facial expressions of the girls. "The best classes among these women of pleasure were the_ oiran_. An oiran could pick her lovers among the wealthiest citizens. Because of that, they dressed in fancy and expensive clothing. You have all noticed that is not true with Kaname."

"What…" Kaname froze. She began to stew when she heard some of her friends start to giggle.

"A different class was the _geisha,_ originally an entertainer who played and sang for the oiran and her customers; eventually, however, the more quietly dressed, more variously talented geisha came to be more popular with the men of Edo than the oiran themselves were." Sousuke looked over at Kaname. "While Kaname's athelrtic abilities may aid her in dancing, I have heard her singing and attempts at playing instruments in music class. She would never have been accepted as a _maiko_… a geisha apprentice."

"_What_…" Kaname's face grew taut. First, the big jerk commented on the way she dressed? Now, he was putting down her singing?

"Kaname?" Sousuke thought a moment, wondering why she seemed so upset again. He thought about asking if it was her circulatory problem. Perhaps she was dealing with irregularity, from eating too many party foods. No. He knew what it might be. "I apologize. I was unaware that you had aspirations to become a modern day geisha. Things such as singing and skill with musical devices can be improved with professional tutelage."

"**_W-h-a-t…"_** Kaname looked like she was ready to explode.

"Kaname, a geisha?" Mizuki began chuckling.

"I can see it," Maya said, a broad smile on her face.

"Wait until the boys in class hear," Ryo added, rubbing her hands together.

"Rrrrrrrrr-rrrrr-rrrr-rrr-rr-r…" Kaname nearly shattered the glass she had picked up. She was squeezing it so tightly, that her fingers blanched.

"I would suggest that everyone retreat to a safe distance, or arrange yourselves in pairs, back to back." Sousuke said. "Kaname can be quite violent during one of her tantrums. Bushi women during the Edo period were also expected to be strong. But, they were also expected to be subservient. It was their job to endure troubles, not to cause conflicts."

"Endure?" Kaname clenched her fists. That's what she was forced to do around a certain moron! More than any girl should have to! _"Subservient?"_ Her voice went up a couple of octaves. If she had been a cartoon bull, steam would be coming out of her ears and nostrils. **_"Tantrums?"_** Her eyes narrowed. She almost pawed at the ground.

Everyone was staring at Kaname, awaiting the inevitable explosion. They were surprised to see her take a deep breath… let it out… smile… and shake her head.

"There won't be any tantrum," Kaname said, waving her hand in dismissive fashion. "I mean, who cares what some idiot has to say, right?"

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked hopeful. "Is this change in habit going to be permanent?" He rubbed to top of his head, remembering each of the incidents that had earned him a bump there. "If so, that is very admirable. In the Edo period, your _usual_ reaction would be a cause of great shame and dishonor for a woman. She would be expected to commit _jigai_ as opposed to _seppuku. _Women had a method in which death would occur relatively quickly. The nature of the wound was not likely to cause an ugly distortion of the features or disarrangement of the limbs that would offend the woman's dignity after death.

"I see," Kaname said, sweetly, aware of all the stares focused on her. "Shame." She walked over to the table, which held a number of glasses in various states of fullness. She chose one that had not been touched. "Dishonor." She walked over to Sousuke. "I can live with that." She poured the drink slowly over his head. "_Hmmmpppfff."_

"It's love," one girl said.

"No doubt about it," another replied. "Gotta be."

Most of the other girls sighed. That had Kaname gritting her teeth.

"Love?" Sousuke looked over at Kaname. "Is that true?" He looked like a wet dog, with red punch dripping off of his soaked hair. "If so, why have you not informed me of this before?" He swallowed hard.

"No," Kaname said. "Never." She turned her back on Sousuke. "Not with someone like you." At the moment, she almost believed what she said. Almost. "_No one_ could ever love someone like you!"

"That was harsh," Mizuki said, making a face. "Even for someone like Sousuke."

"Maybe we should forget about the make-over," a girl said, looking at Sousuke with a sympathetic look. She had been hurt recently by a boy that she had a crush on.

"I don't know…" Maya said, shrugging. "It's all part of the fun."

"Sure!" Ryo chimed in. "We can all pay attention to Sousuke that way, and let Kaname sit there and grumble."

"I am not injured in any fashion. One such as me gets used to harshness in life." Sousuke worked one arm for a moment, and then the other. He tasted some of the punch that ran down into the corner of his mouth. "To be honest, it is sometimes difficult to operate under circumstances where things are peaceful and pleasant." There was a catch in his voice, one that he was unaware of. The girls all caught it though. They all looked at him in a different light. "If it is part of a necessary ritual, I will continue with the pre-game preparations. However, I have not mentioned my final requirement."

"What's that, Sousuke?" Ren smiled. Sousuke was such a valiant and thoughtful person in his own way. She wasn't the only girl smiling at him at that moment. "Here…" She handed him a towel, so he could dry his hair.

"Thank you," Sousuke said. "My one companion is a braggart, and a womanizer. Another person I spend time with is somewhat timid and needy. There is a third person I am very close to." He thought of Melissa Mao. "As I do not wish to endorse bad health habits… and Kaname would not like her apartment befouled… it will not be necessary for you to smoke cigarettes at a prodigious rate. If there is alcohol present…" He looked around the room. The guilty look on some of the girl's faces suggested that there were indeed illicit drinks present. "…You should all make it a point to drink heavily. Beer is the preferred liquid." Further thoughts of his fellow SRT member had Sousuke's eyes going wide. He began to sweat profusely again.

"What else?" Kyouko asked, curious. "There's more, _right?"_

"There must be," Mizuki said. "Look at his face." She blinked rapidly for a moment. Why did Sousuke's description remind her of someone?

"Uhhh…" Sousuke wondered if it would be simpler to live through the application of cosmetics than it would to follow through on his plan to be left untouched.

"Sousuke, you better not be thinking what _I'm_ thinking." Kaname shook her fist at him.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke slowly looked at each of the girls. Unable to help himself, he found himself looking for any sign of cleavage. "It's…"

"_Out with it!"_ Maya folded her arms across her chest.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke put a hand behind his neck. "It's… you should…"

"**Now!** **That's an order!"** Ryo spoke in a very deep and firm voice. **"_Do it,_ mister!"**

"Sir, yes sir!" Sousuke reacted out of habit. "You will need to swear like a dock worker. You will also need to… uhhh… dress in a fashion that enhances… uhhh… your female… uhhh…" Sousuke had to cough to clear his throat. "You will need to enhance your anatomy, showing a considerable amount of cl-…" The final word clung to the roof of his mouth. It wasn't necessary to speak it. The girls caught his drift.

"Oh my…" Ren lowered her eyes, folding her hands together in her lap.

"Wh-… Wh-… _What?"_ Mizuke stammered. Then, things clicked into place. "Miss Melissa…"

"She…" Kyouko looked down at her chest. She had gone on the hot springs trip with Kaname, Tessa, Mizuki, and Melissa. She was well aware of Melissa mao's tendencies when it came to clothing. "But we can't…"

**Baka!"** Kaname picked up an uneaten slice of pizza and pushed it up against Sousuke's face. Not satisfied with that, she upended the pizza box over his head. **"Pervert!"**

"Those are my terms," Sousuke said sternly, after the pizza slid off of his face, leaving long streamers of cheese attached to his chin. He accepted another towel from Ren. "I am _not_ a pervert. I am a Spec-…" He clamped his mouth shut.

Some of the girls actually began to open up their blouses more. That had Sousuke's eyes going wide. It also had Kaname throwing blankets over the girls. The other young ladies quickly disavowed doing any of the things that Sousuke required. That had him looking relieved.

"Ah well," Maya said, sounding dejected. "I guess we have to forget about the make-over. Let's get started with the game, then."

"It's OK," Ryo said, thinking of something. "Sousuke still might choose 'Dare'. And, if he refuses to answer anything or complete a 'Dare', we'll have need for a punishment… _right?"_

"Yes," Mizuki nodded her head. "Don't put your cosmetics away yet, girls."

"But…" One girl looked over at Sousuke. "The things that _he_ could ask _us_ to do…" That was followed by massed whispering. Everyone was thinking about the danger of playing Truth or Dare in this company.

Kaname sat down heavily with an audible thump. She put her face in her hands. This wasn't happening. None of this was happening.

Sousuke sat quietly, borrowed shirt stained with punch and pizza sauce. He had managed to jump out of the frying pan. Had he landed in the fire?

"This has been _such_ a memorable night," Ren said with a melodic voice.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a palpable sense of danger and excitement in the air.

To Sousuke, who had faced his death on numerous occasions, the feeling within him was still noteworthy. He was facing the unknown.

The girls were all speaking in hushed voices, excited one moment and anxious the next. Truth or Dare was a right of passage of sorts. Much of what one could expect came from the group he or she played with.

A boy was in the room. Not just any boy. _Sousuke Sagara. _Everyone knew about him. How could they not? There were so many fun things they could ask him, or ask him to do. But, who could say what he might ask, or ask someone else to do?

"What's wrong, Sousuke?" Kaname paced back and forth, looking far more nervous than Sousuke did. Without a doubt, she would be faced with moral and ethical dilemmas. In the spirit of the game, everyone was supposed to tell the truth. How could she lie to her friends? That was a sign of poor character, right? And, she was the world's worst liar. Everytime she told a falsehood, someone always seemed to find out. _"Scared?"_

"No," Sousuke said, arms across his chest. He was wearing a new fresh pajama top. "Naturally, seeing the situation, I am given reason to have reasonable concerns." He looked around the room. The arrangement was harrowing in its own right. "There is a quotation from the most decorated officer in U.S. Marine Corps history. 'So they've got us surrounded, good! Now we can fire in any direction, those bastards won't get away this time!'" He was indeed surrounded, sitting in the middle of the floor, ringed by occupied closely packed sleeping bags and a second ring of standing or seated girls.

"Great," Kaname said, smacking herself in the forehead. "Just the kind of stuff we need to hear."

Some of the girls looked at one another with some trepidation. Sousuke saying something otaku was nothing unusual. But, his making reference to firing in all directions was not a reason to feel gleeful, seeing that he had weapons with him.

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked around the room. The lights were low. But, the light from an adjacent room shone off of the eyes of the nearest girls. It was an eerie sight. "If that is truly the case, I have addition quotes from Chesty Puller and soldiers of other nationalities."

"That's not…" Kaname hung her head and sighed. Kyouko's flash went off. Some of the girls chuckled, seeing the effect that Sousuke's clueless behavior had on Kaname. Better her than them!

"Chesty Puller?" Maya asked, feeling a bit brazen. _"Chesty?"_

"_Puller?"_ Ryo smirked, having caught on fast.

"Does that mean _you'll_ be pulling on chests, Sousuke?" One girl queried playfully.

"**Gurk!"** Sousuke's eyes went wide. While he was not one for exclamations of that sort, he could be forgiven in that given situation. _"Negative!_ It is not my intention to perform acts of that nature. That was merely the nickname of General Lewis B. Puller, USMC, veteran of battles from Guadalcanal to the Chosin Reservoir. He had a barrel chest."

"Right," Mizuki said, smirking. She knew Sousuke wasn't making any inappropriate inferences.

"Sure," Another girl said, making a 'tsk tsk' noise.

"Oh… to be treated in such a terrible way… while still in the flower of my youth…" Ren shocked everyone by playing alone. Kyouko rushed to 'assist' her after the quiet girl slumped to the floor.

"But… it's not… I wouldn't…" Sousuke waved his arms frantically. His eyes looked wild, and he was sweating again.

"**P-S-Y-C-H-E-!" **

A large number of girls had shouted all at once.

"Geez…" Kaname muttered under her breath. "He's such an imbecile some times…" Seasoned veteran. Soldier extraordinaire. Pilot of the only Lambda Driver capable A.S. on the side of good and right. Calm under the most harrowing of situations. Driven to distraction by the thought of fondling a girl. Yes, he definitely was a clueless moron. But, it was kind of sweet. She certainly wouldn't want him to change.

Sousuke sat quietly. He tried to will his pulse to slow down. He had been effectively baited and trapped, like the greenest of greenhorns. The soldier in him taking over, he pondered lessons from Sun Tzu. The highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans. The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. Simply put, one mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all.

Those were all practical truths. He could add to that, the fact that victory may be produced out of the enemy's own tactics.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Ryo was hugging her knees to her, all smiles.

"It was classic!" Maya grinned.

"Kyouko, I think you should make a copy of that one for all of us!" One girl said, soon echoed by the others.

Keeping all expression off of his face, eyes smarting from the repeated glare of the camera flash, Sousuke considered the five dangerous faults that can affect a leader. As he was the only one on his team, he was by definition the leader.

_Recklessness, which leads to destruction._

Yes. He knew that one well. It was an ongoing struggle for him. His impulsiveness tended to get him into trouble at school, but not on the battlefield. He needed to be in the right frame of mind. The girls were his schoolmates, but they were not at school. For the duration of this game, they would be his opponents, his adversaries.

_Cowardice, which leads to capture._

Indeed. He must not give into fear. Capture by terrorists would bring unfortunate and drastic consequences. Capture by a room of crazed female teenagers could be far worse. He would rather slice both palms and swim the Great Barrier Reef, attracting every Great White Shark in range.

_A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults._

Hmmm. He usually had that under control. Usually, he ignored insults. When he could not, he was a student of the 'don't get mad, get even' school. But, there were those in the room who might be vulnerable to such an approach. Going rigid, he turned. Somehow, he had known that Kaname's stare was on him.

_A delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame._

Ahhh. That was worth keeping in mind. Who knows what the girls might do to him. Whatever they chose, he could not allow it to fall prey to shame. It might help if he asked himself the question 'What would Kurz Weber do', 'or what would Melissa Mao' do. If those did not provide enough insight, he would consider what Andrei Sergeyevich Kalinin might do.

_Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble_

No. That would not be a problem in the least. He had no over-solicitude for himself. If anything, quite the opposite. That earned him lectures from any number of people, from Melissa and Kurz, to Captain Testarossa and Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. Kaname also made that point at times, too.

The girls continued with their loud chatter and jokes at Sousuke's expense, while Kaname debated whether or not to stop it. The scruffy boy soldier certainly deserved some of it! And, as long as they focused on him, they were less likely to zero in on her. For now, anyway. But, she hated unfair fights, and always found herself rooting for the underdog.

"I have another quote," Sousuke said, after loading a clip of blanks into his pistol and pulling the trigger a few times. He watched as one large table teetered precariously, after a number of girls fell to the ground grasping the tablecloth. Bowls of popcorn and chips rolled across the floor, leaving food in their wake. "The source is anonymous. It was told to me by a man I trained with." He had heard it from an old grizzled sergeant at Mithril boot camp.

"Well?" Maya asked, after Sousuke's bravado abandoned him for a moment.

"It was…" Sousuke squared his shoulders. He could do this. It was only words. He need not picture an image to go along with those words. "I think that it would be good advice for you girls. Tonight especially. Men had no difficulty following the philosophy."

"Then it will be easy for us," Ryo said, smugly. "Right girls?" Her question had some of the other partygoers nodding their heads.

"The quote was as follows…" Sousuke thought back to a day he stood sweating in the thick of a Central American forest. "…For every dark night, there's a bright day after that. So, no matter how hard it gets, keep your head up, stick your chest out, and handle it."

"**Gah!"** Mizuki spat out a mouthful of soda, drawing an angry look from the girl lounging in front of her.

"What?" Kyouko held her pillow in front of her blouse.

"Chest?" One girl asked. "Handle?"

"Classic," Sousuke said, aping a prior remark. "Should I yell 'Psyche' now?" He stood with his legs spread apart,mission completed.

"**_BAKA!"_**

Kaname brought an upended bowl of Jello and whipped cream down hard on Sousuke's head. She had been concerned for Sousuke, somewhat. That is, neglecting her thoughts of using him as a means to draw attention away from herself. She had also gotten somewhat emotional, thinking he was sweet. Then he comes out with something like that.

The room went dead silent for a moment. Then it there was a rolling burst of applause. It grew so loud, that angry neighbors began banging on the walls. The girls began chanting Kaname's name, causing her to stand tall, preening. That ought to show Sousuke that he was out of his league.

Wobbling squares of red gelatin fell out of the bowl, bounced off of Sousuke's shoulders, and then made their way onto sleeping bags and pillows. Taking the bowl off of his head, the young soldier turned to look at Kaname. Hair dripping whipped cream, he considered another passage from the Art of War. 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.'

It was not enough to know the tendencies of one's adversary. One had to keep them in mind. Flushed with nascent pride, he had allowed Kaname to sneak up behind him. Unforgivable! But, he could not allow that to bring him down. The perfect response came to mind, even though it was not the kind of thing he usually said. In battle, terrain was an unavoidable issue. Similarly, with certain girls, topography could not be ignored.

"Kaname?" Sousuke caught a towel that Ren threw him. Did she have a large supply handy? No matter. "Are you angry because my quotation sounded like an order?" He knew all to well what happened any time he told Kaname what to do, even when he was acting in his capacity as a Specialist. "For you, it is unnecessary. You need not stick your chest out. It does that on it's own."

For a few moments, one could have heard a pin drop. Kaname looked like someone had dipped her in liquid nitrogen, and then placed her in the middle of the room. Hand held flat in front of her, she didn't move when Sousuke placed the bowl of gelatin on it.

First, quiet whispering began. Then, the conversations grew louder, punctuated by laughter. Before Sousuke knew what was happening, a group of the girls was chanting his name.

Similarly, Kaname's condition evolved in a stepwise manner. First, she managed to wiggle a few fingers. Then, she felt the warmth spread throughout her body. When she was able to walk again, she tossed the bowl to Kyouko, who dropped it and her camera. Nose held high, she marched into her darkened bed room, rustled around for a few moments, and then returned holding the halisen.

"Uhhh… Kaname…" Sousuke swallowed hard. Feeling like a mouse staring up at a hungry cat, he wondered if he should stick to forms of combat that he was more familiar with.

Kaname drew her arm back. Seeing that Sousuke's attention was on the paper fan, she stomped on his shoeless foot as hard as she could. Hearing him grunt, she did it again.

"Big shot loser._ Hmmmpppfff!"_ Tossing her hair, she handed the halisen to Ren.

"Scary," one girl said to another.

"Tell me about it!" A third girl shivered.

"**Down!"** They all knelt down behind a group of their friends when Kaname turned to see who had spoken.

"OK, if we're going to play, we should get started." Kaname spoke up, feeling a need to regain a little control. Maya and Ryo had been pushing things along for a while, and a certain jerk had usurped everyone's attention. This was her apartment. It was her party. "Unless you're all having second thoughts because Sousuke's here?" She found herself hoping that everyone would speak up, toss Sousuke out of the room, and say that it was time for movies or sleep. But, she couldn't let any of the others get wind of that.

"It is not a problem," Maya said, mimicking Sousuke.

"That's right," Ryo said, yawning. "It opens up so many possibilities."

"Uh huh," Mizuki said. "Sousuke still has more room for bumps and bruises."

"We could hang him up like a piñata, if that will make things easier for you, Kaname." Kyouko was holding the hamster ball. The small rodent had fallen asleep, despite all of the commotion. It was the only sensible one there.

"Don't tempt me, Ky." Kaname looked at Sousuke out of the corner of her eye. "Anyway, on to the house rules. You know my motto. Play fair. Play hard. Nobody gets hurt."

"Except Sousuke," Ren said, a look of sympathy in her eyes. Sousuke was well meaning. But, he did bring things down on himself. Magnets attract iron. Sousuke Sagara attracts trouble.

"**Right!" **That exclamation came from a number of young ladies at the same time.

"Well, we all agree on one thing." Kaname smiled. That smile vanished when she stepped on a piece of Jello with her bare foot.

Like a clean-up crew at the Big Top, a number of girls took it upon themselves to begin cleaning up the mess, now that the excitement was over.

"You know the spiel." Kaname continued, after thanking her friends. "The game is intended to be fun, to foster greater closeness and communication among the players, and to facilitate personal growth. Push any limit or boundary you want, but don't break it."

"Unless it has to do with Sousuke," Sousuke said. He figured that he would save Kaname and the other girls some trouble.

"Good boy." One girl stood up, patted Sousuke on one cheek, and then sat down. Everyone else smile or chuckled.

"No wimps allowed," Kaname said. "There will be no spectators. Everybody plays." She looked around the room. Hearing no dissent, she continued. "We will be using an Umpire. The Umpire does not play during that round. There will be a new Umpire for each round." She tossed her hair. "Sousuke will _never _be Umpire." That had the girls all whistling. Sousuke opened his mouth and then closed it.

"_Neither_ will Kaname." Mizuki's statement had everyone calling out approval. Kaname almost struck Sousuke again, seeing the grin on his face. That otaku almost never grinned!

"The Umpire will make sure that the game stays fun for everybody, and that no one gets ganged up on or pushed too hard. They will get to use these…" Kaname put a clock on the table. She had borrowed it from the Chess Team at school, without their knowing it. Next to it, she placed the halisen and a basket of cosmetics. "Punishment will be left up to the discretion of the Umpire. We will agree on certain punishments in a little bit. This one is a certainty." She held up the paper fan.

"Kaname, this would be much more humane, despite what one might think at first." He held up his Glock, ejected the blanks, and slid in a clip of rubber bullets.

"Sousuke, get on you knees for a moment. Hands on the floor." Kaname swung the halisne back and forth like a pendulum.

"_Ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-oh…"_

"Oh, grow up!" Kaname snapped, blushing. "I'm going to demonstrate the standard punishment. If there are any wimps, this is the 'Wimp Whacker'. Watch." She smacked Sousuke three times on the rump. "Three times for girls. As many times as you want for boys."

"Pants on or off?" One girl asked. She wondered just how far this game was going to go. She did not want to get caught up in anything kinky.

"Uhhh… Kaname?" Sousuke swallowed hard.

"_**ON!"**_ The word burst out of Kaname.

Ren said a quick prayer of thanks. She would have left if things got too raucous. Many of the other partygoers felt the same way, especially since they remembered that Sousuke wasn't wearing anything underneath his borrowed pajama pants.

"At the start of a round, the Umpire will ask for a volunteer to go first. Having none, she will select the one to start the game." Kaname looked down at Sousuke, who was still on all fours. _"Sheeesh_. Get up, you big stupid head. Show some dignity." She stretched for a moment, arching her back. She froze, realizing that Sousuke had been looking at her when she did so. Thinking of his one quote, she turned bright pink.

"Probably did that for Sousuke's sake," Maya quipped.

"_Hussy,"_ Ryo laughed. Mizuki began snickering.

"I bet Mizuki wishes she could do that!" One girl had seen Mizuki's reaction.

"Miss Inaba?" Sousuke cocked his head. "That was not something you practiced, when I was learning to be Shirai." He frowned. "You are not much larger now than you were then." He froze, realizing what he had just said.

"I… you… that's…" Mizuki looked over at Kaname. "Aren't you going to hit him or something?"

"**Nope!"** Kaname grinned a Cheshire Cat smile. "As I was saying, the Umpire will chose the First Asker. That person will ask the first question of the round, and the last. They will have the benefit of being the only one who asks 'Truth or Dare' to two different people in the same round." She shrugged. "Unless they want to ask Sousuke twice." She started to smile again, but stopped. Maybe that wasn't a good rule after all! She cleared her throat. "The Original Asker picks out any person she or he wants, and asks 'Truth or Dare'. The person chosen responds with 'truth' or 'dare.' Or, if they are courageous, she can say 'your choice'. There will be no passing, unless the Umpire judges that a question is too harsh."

"One must tell the truth?" Sousuke looked troubled. While no one there but Kaname knew about Mithril, he could not answer any question that might expose his mission.

"Yes," Kaname said. "Or, I should say 'Affirmative'." Kaname flinched. She knew exactly what Sousuke was thinking. "Lying is very bad. That will get the worst of punishments. If someone doesn't think the question is fair, they can ask the group or the Umpire. Or, if they can choose to wimp out, and receive their just desserts." That would give them both a way out!

"I understand. A game of duty and obligation." Sousuke nodded his head. "One's honor will be at stake. I understand."

Kaname frowned. Sousuke knew what she thought about his mantra of 'duty' and 'obligation.' Big jerk! Moron! Stupid head! "Yes," she said. "After the one person answers their Truth or does their Dare, she gets to choose the next unasked player.

"Or 'he'," Sousuke put in.

"I _know_ that Sousuke!" Kaname clenched her fists. "That's implied." She sighed. "No answer should reveal information about another person without that person's consent, or violate serious "real world" confidentiality matters. The Umpire makes final determination as to the fairness of any question. A fair Dare must be something that can be done then and there, and in the presence of the other players, and take less than three minutes."

"I see," Sousuke said, rubbing his chin. "That lets out running a mile with a full pack… one hundred push ups… or scaling a fair sized building with climbing gear. Pity."

"That's right, Sousuke…" Kaname drawled her answer, slumping her shoulders. She and the others wondered just what kind of things Sousuke might ask.

"Stripping down the Glock or TMP could be done under three minutes, however." Sousuke's face brightened. "One could do it suspended upside down from the shower bar or balcony."

"Wonderful," Kaname said. After letting out her breath, inhaling deeply and breathing out again, she continued.

"He _really_ needs a girlfriend…" One girl's remark had everyone nodding.

"No he doesn't," Kaname said, much too quickly. He stood straighter, covering her slip. "Who could ever deserve a boyfriend like that!"

"Maybe we'll all find out…" Mizuki scowled at Kaname, still upset that she had been left hanging earlier.

"Well… yes… maybe we will…" Kaname waved her hand in dismissive fashion. She couldn't let the others know that her heart had jumped up into her throat. "Now that the interruption is over, back to the rules. If a player refuses to answer a fair question truthfully, or refuses to perform a fair Dare, then the questioned person has revealed that they are a 'Wimp.' After receiving their punishment, it will be their turn to ask 'Truth or Dare'. At the end of the round, a new Umpire can be chosen, and another round started." She put her hands on her hips. "One thing. Anything said in the game, stays in the game. Agree?"

"Fine" Maya made an 'OK' sign with her hand.

"Count on us!" Ryo said.

"You're the boss!" Kyouko smiled cheerfully. That rule made her feel better already.

"Hey, Kaname…" A girl raised her hand. "Can we play 'Hot Seat' style, too?"

Kaname blinked rapidly. She ground her teeth together for a moment. That was really upping the ante. "Well, we should probably vote on that. For those who don't know what that means…"

"High voltage electrical charges applied to one's chair, to force one to tell the truth?" Sousuke scratched the back of his neck. "Sitting on hot coals until one answers truthfully?" He looked down at the folding chair in the middle of the room. "Flameless ration heaters of the type used in the most recent generations of MREs?"

Kaname froze again. If she were a thermometer, the red would have started at her feet, climbed up past her midriff, and burst out through the top of her head. The question was bad enough. But, Sousuke had mentioned 'MREs.' He knew that she considered that a curse word! Reaching her hand out for the halisen, she stopped, willing herself to remain calm.

"You know you want to, Kaname." Kyouko nodded her head. She had been watching her friend's face.

"Might as well get it out of your system," Ryo added.

"It's OK. We don't mind. No one will think any less of you." One of the girls gave her a jaunty salute.

Kaname wiped a tear away from her eyes. It was good to have friends. She smacked Sousuke on top of the head. "The hot seat variant of the game has one person always being it for the round. They take all of the Truths and all of the Dares until everybody has had a chance to ask." She looked at Sousuke, feeling a bit guilty. She needed to treat him better than that. Some day.

"There's another way," one girl said, marveling at Sousuke's ability to bounce back up as if nothing had happened. "The Asker can pose a question that everyone has to answer."

As it turned out, the group voted to try each method of playing. They would start of with the traditional way, and then switch over after a while.

"So, who should be Umpire first?" Mizuki asked warily. "I will, if no one else wants to."

"I nominate Ren," Kaname said. That choice met with universal acceptance.

"OK Ren, tell us who the first Asker will be." Maya said.

"Sousuke," Ren said.


	4. Chapter 4

It had begun.

Sousuke sat on the chair, the eyes of every girl upon him.

Who would he call? What would he ask for a Truth? What might he Dare someone to do? The room was charged with uncertainty, anticipation, anxiety, and excitement.

Scientists once thought they had lightning and thunder figured out, until new theories disproved their earlier assumptions. Now, science is left without an explanation. All that is certain is that there is a limit in nature. Just as a bucket can only hold so much water, the atmosphere can only hold a certain sized electric field. The same could be said for that room in Kaname's apartment.

"I…" Sousuke looked over at Ren. That single word had some of the girls shivering. "I accept the assignment." He sat silently after that, thinking. Then, he stood. He raised his arm, finger extended. "I choose…"

The finger swung about in a slow level arc. Everyone held their breath, the sound of their hearts loud inn their ears. For Sousuke, the world seemed to slow, much the way it did in the middle of an Arm Slave battle. He needed some way to make a choice. In combat, with the upper hand, he would choose the weakest opponent and remove it quickly. If the mission success was threatened by one particular enemy, he would concentrate his efforts there. In the heat of melee, he would choose the nearest foe, or fight any enemy that engaged him.

"Any time now, Sousuke." Kaname stood with her hands on her hips. The waiting was driving her nuts.

"You…" Sousuke pointed at Kaname. She had made his choice for him. "I select Kaname Chidori."

"**I knew it!" **Maya grinned. "Her big mouth did her in."

"You shall be my second choice at the end of the round, Maya Mukai." Sousuke swung his finger around and pointed at Maya. Some girls actually ducked when that finger swung past them.

"_Whose _big mouth?" Ryo slapped Maya on the back and chuckled.

Sousuke looked over at Kaname. He scrutinized her face, seeing her brows furrow and her hand clutch at the fabric of her pajama pants. "Are you angry at me, for choosing you, Kaname?"

"What?" Kaname tried to smile. "Don't be stupid, Sousuke. Of _course _not." She swallowed hard. She began rubbing her fingers together. "It's… it's just a game…"

"I see," Sousuke said. "Good." He watched her a bit longer. "You seemed anxious. Are you frightened?"

"Frightened? _Me?" _Kaname stood straighter, holding her chin up. "No, you big idiot!"

"You sound angry." Sousuke said.

"**I**… **am**… **_not_**… **angry**…" Kaname looked rather perturbed.

"Sousuke, you need to ask Kaname 'Truth or Dare'." Ren asserted her authority as Umpire. She knew all too well what would happen if Sousuke and Kaname kept up as they were. "Not 'are you angry' or 'are you frightened'."

"I apologize," Sousuke said. "Kaname, Truth or Dare?"

"Your choice, Sousuke." Kaname stuck out her lower lip. She was not frightened. Not at all. Not even a slight bit. She would prove that, by letting him choose. Her response had the girls whispering and looking on expectantly.

"Understood," Sousuke said. "Your courage is noteworthy." He looked over at Ren, missing how Kaname blushed. "Is it alright for me to say that?"

"I will allow it," Ren said with a smile. "You should ask Kaname a question, or challenge her to a Dare. You have one minute." She pushed down on one side of the timer.

"I will ask a Truth," Sousuke said. Looking over at Kaname, he cleared his throat. He was oblivious to the fact that a roomful of girls were grasping the edge of their sleeping bags, leaning forward if the were seated, or standing on their tiptoes. "Yes. That will do. Kaname, briefly describe the _Ee ja nai ka _movement of the Edo era."

A number of girls fell over. Some lay back hard, their pillows saving them from fierce contact with the floor. Maya and Ryo looked at one another and sighed. Ren smiled.

"_What?" _Kaname looked startled. "I'm not going to answer that!"

"I admit to being disappointed," Sousuke said. "It was you who told me to take the upcoming exam seriously. Having studied diligently, I expected that you would have done the same. Not only to prevent hypocrisy, but also because you are the Class Representative." He shrugged. "As the rest of you probably know, The _Ee ja nai ka _movement was a spontaneous outbreak of ecstatic behavior or mass hysteria which occured in Japan from July 1867 to April 1868, at the end of the Edo period and the start of the Meiji restoration. People in Japan took part in pilgrimages, worshipping of amulets said to have fallen from heaven, spontaneous dancing and chanting, and wearing costumes. The name of the movement, _Ee ja nai ka_, comes from a popular song or chant. The meaning is 'It's OK' or 'Why not?'"

"It's _not_ OK!" Kaname clenched her fists. "And I will _tell_ you why not!" She narrowed her eyes, once again forced to deal with a Sousukesque situation.

"Ren has asked me to refrain from telling you that you are angry," Sousuke said.

"**Ahhhh!" **Kaname pulled at her hair. **"Baka!" **She couldn't help herself. She walked over to Sousuke, grabbed him by the lapels, and shook him. He looked like a Bobble Head doll; for a few moments.

"I will assume that I am also prohibited from telling Kaname that she is behaving like a poor sport?" Sousuke tried to focus his vision when he looked over at Ren. Instinctively he ducked, when Kaname hand swept past where his head had been.

"**S-o-u-s-u-k-e-!" **Kaname pushed Sousuke aside and sat down in the chair. "Don't you know anything? You don't ask questions about Japanese History in Truth or Dare. _Geeeez."_

"Miss Mikihara?" Sousuke looked to the Umpire for confirmation. She nodded her head. "I see. My mistake, then." He stood silently, stroking his chin. "OK. I have a better question, then. Kaname, looking at the major terrorist attacks since 9/11, most of them have occurred in Muslim countries. Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia and so on. _Why?"_

Kaname just closed her eyes and hung her head. The girls all muttered amongst themselves. They were impatient for the game to begin in earnest, but some were enjoying Kaname's dilemma.

"No answer?" Sousuke looked around the room. Everybody was looking at him. They must be anxious to learn the truth. "The targets have usually been non-Muslims. Western tourists, Jews, other non-Muslim locals, and so on. These acts are aimed at shaking the stability of Muslim countries whose economies rely largely on tourism. Once their regimes shake and cave in, the next phase will be to launch the final battle against the West and America." That was fairly academic, actually.

"Idiot," Kaname said between clenched teeth. "Moron. Jerk. Stupid head."

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked over at Ren. "Oh. I understand. I apologize." He looked at the clock. "You have a timing device. I did not allow Kaname sufficient time to answer."

"_Rrrrrrrrr-rrrr-rrr-rr-r_…" Kaname's eyes snapped open. For a moment, her face looked like that of Enma, king of the underworld, as seen at the temple she used to work part time at. If she were to judge Sousuke as good or bad, and decide into which afterworld he should be sent, he would have ended up in Buddhist hell.

"As Umpire, I am granting Kaname a 'pass'." Ren spoke calmly. "She has been through enough for this round." She looked at Sousuke. "It's alright. Listen to the types of questions that everyone else asks. You'll catch on quickly enough."

"Excuse me," Sousuke said contritely. "I hope I have not ruined the game." He coughed. "Am I to be punished?"

"**YES!"**

It seemed that all of the girls answered at once.

"No," Kaname said, pushing the hair away from her face. "Being you is punishment enough." She sighed. "It's my turn to ask." She looked around the room. "Mizuki…"

"…" Mizkuki's mouth opened and closed, like that of a beached carp.

"I will let someone _else_ call on you." Kaname grinned. Most of the other girls chuckled. Mizuki looked relieved, and then irritated. "Let's see…" She looked over at Kyouko. "Ky…"

"Truth," Kyouko said, trusting Kaname to ask a relatively safe question. It was the kind of thing she would do. Call on her best friend and leave her shielded for the rest of that round.

"OK," Kaname said. "I could ask you about boys…" She kept a straight face, hearing the inrush of breaths around her, and seeing Kyouko's eyes go wide. "No. Hmmmm. "If you, your best friend, and your father were all bitten by poisonous snakes, but there was only one dose of antidote available, what would you do?"

The girls all muttered amongst themselves. That was a nice one. Sure, it wasn't the embarrassing stuff, but that would come sooner or later. This kind of question was pretty provocative in its own right. A good game of Truth or dare could go long ways towards learning about values, beliefs, and the way that people think.

"I would give it to my father," Kyouko answered. She tugged at one of her pigtails. "Sorry, Kaname."

"It's only a question, Ky." Kaname laughed. "I would have answered the same way."

"Alright, let's keep it down now," Ren said. All of the girls had been discussing the question amongst themselves. "Kyouko…"

"Maya," Kyouko said. She smiled when her friend mouthed 'thank you'. Now Sousuke wouldn't be able to call on her. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Maya answered. There was nothing more lame and boring than a game where everyone answered 'Truth.' She needed to set an example.

"You _go_ girl!" Ryo clapped her hands.

"Uhhh…" Kyouko wrinkled up her nose, thinking. "Imitate someone in the room. Let's see if we can guess who it is.

"Fine," Maya said. She knew exactly who to copy. "Kaname… get down.." She ran and pushed Kaname hard to the ground, and then covered her. "My mistake… I thought that was a bomb…" She picked up the hamster ball and handed it to her stunned friend. "One can never to too safe… there was a terrorist attack using a rodent as a bomb in Kablamastan."

"There is no such country as Kablamastan," Sousuke said, barely heard above the laughter and talking. "You probably mean _Kazakhstan _or _Kyrgyzstan_." That only made everyone laugh even louder. "Wait. Maya is your friend. There is no need to belittle her. Not everyone is familiar with the last seventeen Republics of the Soviet Union, and the fifteen resultant independent states."

"That was a very good imitation, Maya." Ren grinned. "We all know who that was supposed to be. Your turn to ask."

"_Great!" _She looked at Sousuke. "Before that, do you want to tell us if there ever was a terrorist attack using a hamster?" That had everyone snickering. "Inquiring minds want to know…"

"Affirmative," Sousuke said, feeling somewhat pleased. It was good that his fellow classmates took security issues seriously. "Hamsters originated in the Middle East, Central Asia, and southeastern Europe. So, it should not be surprising to hear that terrorists have placed plastic explosive with hamster cages in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Jordan, and the Chechen Republic." He thought a moment. "The species involved were Syrian and Roborovski Dwarf hamsters, I believe."

"I'm sorry I asked," Maya said, shaking her head. "Ryo, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Ryo answered.

""What was the last place you went skinny dipping?" Maya asked, sounding nonchalant. The room went dead still, and then erupted in excited murmurs.

"**Maya!" **Ryo blushed. It would have been easy, had she been able to answer 'I never have'. She couldn't. And Maya knew that! "That's…" She swallowed hard. When she spoke, it was in a very quiet voice. "A waterfall. Outside of the Asahidake Onsen."

"Why is everyone acting like that?" Sousuke asked Kaname, seeing how the girls were talking, and noticing how pink that Ryo turned. "What is skinny dipping?"

"It's…" Kaname cleared her throat. For a moment, she pictured herself skinny dipping, Sousuke standing near her, gun in hand. She tried to shake away that image. "Big jerk! _Everyone_ knows what that is…"

"It means swimming naked," Ren said.

"I fail to see the issue," Sousuke said. "I have done that on numerous occasions." He had, as a child in Afghanistan, and at various training camps run by Mithril.

"With girls," someone asked.

"Affirmative." Sousuke said. The reaction of the young women puzzled him even more. At a young age, he had shared lakes and streams with other children in the mujahideen camps.

"We… we should get back to the game…" Kaname blinked rapidly. She had almost been tempted to ask 'With Tessa?' What did it matter, if Sousuke swam naked with girls. It was none of her business. There was no reason for her to care one way or the other!

Ren put things back on track. Ryo went on to ask her friend from a different class "What was the last bad thing you were caught doing?" That girl asked the next person "Did you ever have a crush on one of your teachers?" She in turn asked "Would you murder an innocent person, if it ended all hunger in the world?" Dares were in short supply. Until Mizuki was called on.

"Mizuki, Truth or Dare?" One girl had just the perfect question picked out. Mizuki had gotten her in trouble the week before.

"Dare," Mizuki said, with some trepidation. The girl wouldn't hold a grudge, would she? If she gave out a Dare, it would be something like everyone had done at the last party, right. Take a bite out of the oldest food in the refrigerator. Give someone a piggy back ride around the apartment. Sing a popular song. Maybe even make a crank call to a boy. Something like that…

"Alright," the girl said, somewhat disappointed. But, her eyes soon lit up and she chuckled. "We all know about you and Shirai. Some of us heard that you had Sousuke pretending to be him, to save face with some of your friends. Pretend he is you, and you are him. Show us what he did that got you so upset."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke knew just what he had done.

"Wait… that's a bit much, _isn't_ it guys…" Kaname looked at Sousuke, and then at Mizuki. "Ren?"

"It's OK," Ren said. Something like that was often part of Truth or Dare.

"No… there's no way…" Mizuke shook her head. "I'm not going to…" She looked over at Sousuke angrily. It was one more thing she could blame him for. "I'd rather stick my head in a toilet, the way he did to that idiot Shirai…"

"Fine. If you're going to be a 'Wimp'." The girl looked at Ren. "How about we use _that _as punishment, instead of paddling?"

Ren sat quietly for a short while. "I will agree to that. But, you need to clean the toilet completely before she does it." While she was the sweetest of girls, she had grown up in a Yakuza family. When things got ugly between gangs, people sometimes found heads in toilets. This was minor in comparison.

"But… that's not fair… Ren, I thought you were…" Mizuki looked to be on the brink of tears.

"If I take the punishment for Mizuki, will that suffice?" Sousuke looked over at Ren. His offer had everyone looking at him. There was a look of shock and gratitude on Mizuki's face. Very rarely had anyone ever stood up for her.

"No," Ren replied. "This is Mizuki's decision."

Mizuki stood up, stopped in front of the girl who gave her the Dare, staring down at her. Then, running a hand through her hair, she walked over to Sousuke.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke's pulse quickened.

"That's…" Kaname quickly closed her mouth, when a large majority of the girls turned to look at her.

Mizuki closed her eyes, gathering her will. She could do this. Hearing Sousuke say 'If I take the punishment for Mizuki, will that suffice?' inside her head, she opened her eyes, looking determined. "Thank you, Sousuke." That would make this easier.

As the girls clapped their hands to a beat, Mizuki bent over and kissed Sousuke. That had Sousuke going stiff, and Kaname turning pale. Everyone else applauded, banged their glasses together, or began hooting.

"There," Mizuki said, feeling like she was Queen of the Roost for that moment. Soon enough, though, the full impact of what she had done caught up with her. "Well… ummm… Sousuke… Truth or Dare."

"It does not matter," Sousuke said. "Choose what you wish." he ignored all of the girls who called out, asking if he liked the kiss. Their questions were not the official one. Misuke was in charge of selecting his mission.

"OK. Truth. Let's see…" Mizuki paused. Before, she had come up with a number of questions she would have wanted to ask him. She couldn't seem to remember them now. "Have you every kissed someone other than me?"

"Affirmative!" Sousuke answered. "Many people. Men and women both."

"_Ohhhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…"_

"He's talking about CPR, the jerk!" Kaname clenched her fists. "Sousuke, you idiot, we've been over this before, the last time we discussed kissing."

"_Ahhhhhhhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…"_

"That's not what I meant!" Kaname stomped her foot, turning red again. "When Sousuke wanted to know why Mizuki was angry, I explained it to him. I asked him the same question Mizuki did, that's all. _Hmmmpppfff!"_

"Kaname is correct," Sousuke admitted. "I stand corrected. Mizuki is the only one I remember kissing."

"You mean there might be some you don't remember?" Maya asked.

"Yes," Sousuke answered. "In the past, I spent a great deal of time around prostitutes. But, my memory of those days is somewhat incomplete."

"_Mmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m…"_

"Wh-… Wh-… Wh-…" It was Kaname's turn to do an impromptu fish imitation.

Mizuki looked ready to collapse. She wished she never asked Sousuke about kissing. Maya, Ryo, and the others all looked at Sousuke as if they saw a monster. Kyouko was too stunned to take any pictures. Only Ren looked unconcerned.

"Prostitutes…" One girl managed to speak. "You do mean women who sell… you know… for money…"

"Yes," Sousuke said. "They worked the sex trade at the encampments." He thought back to his early days in Afghanistan, not that long after his parents had been killed by Soviet soldiers by accident. "I spent time with all of them. I do not recall ever kissing my mother, or the camp followers."

"How old were you, Sousuke?" Kaname asked, knowing that there must be some twist to anything that Sousuke said about women. At least she hoped there was.

"I was a child," Sousuke replied. "They were the ones who were my surrogate family."

"_Whew-wwww-www-ww-w…"_

"Don't do that again!" Kaname put her hands on her hips. She began stammering, when everyone turned a questioning eye on her. "You know… take up so much game time…" She blushed when all of her friends put their heads together, whispering again.

"Sousuke, I made a mistake." Ren said apologetically. "I shouldn't have let Mizuki call on you. The last person to be asked should call on you, so that you can ask the last question of the round." She thought a moment. "Does anyone mind if Mizuki gets to choose someone else and go again?" No one had any problem with that suggestion.

Mizuki asked one girl "If you had a diary, what dark secret would you keep hidden in it?" That girl gave the next player a Dare, having her put her clothing on backwards, while a number of girls held their hands over Sousuke's eyes. She in turn asked her friend "If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt someone without being discovered, would you?"

The questions seemed to blur together beyond that point. Who would you like to lock in prison for a year? How was your worst date so far? Have you fantasized killing someone? If you knew a meteor would end all life on earth in one week, what things would you want to do? What has been your most frightening experience? What do you do when you want to feel sexy? If the person you were engaged too had an accident and became paraplegic, would you go through with the marriage? If you were to wake up in the body of someone else, who would you choose? Would you sleep with a teacher for a better grade, or a boss for a better job?

The Dares were creative, too. The only one that Ren waved off was when one girl told another to put Sousuke's gun down her pants. Otherwise, there were plenty of silly antics, and a few mildly risqué ones.

Eventually, Sousuke needed to be called on again, and he had to choose the final person for that round.

"Sousuke, Truth or Dare?" The final girl smiled. She had a good question picked out, and an even better Dare.

"You may choose for me," Sousuke said.

"Thank you," the girl said. "Kaname, do you have a leotard you can still fit in?"

"Yes," Kaname answered, puzzled. "Why?"

"Dare," the girl said. "Sousuke, you'll need to put on the leotard. When you're done, you will dance around the room like a ballerina.

Sousuke began sweating. That did not sound like something a Specialist should ever do. Kaname's mouth fell open. She was too stunned to offer an objection. The others girls whistled, clapped, or called out.

"But… I have no good knowledge of how a ballerina dances…" Sousuke said. That excuse would not save him. One by one, girls got up and moved about the room, performing echappe, bourree, and passe pique movements.

"Relever to spring up!" One girl said. Those words were as foreign to Sousuke as 'Emplace the tripod, lock the pintle assembly into the pintle bushing, and attach the T&E mechanism to the machine gun' would have been to anyone else in the room.

"Abaisser to descend!" Another girl added, followed by another girl saying "Pique to step onto!"

"Don't forget a sur le cou-de-pied derriere." Ren's cousin was a ballet dancer.

The girls all began chanting 'derriere' after hearing that. The refrain got louder and louder, causing Sousuke to sweat more and more. Finally, Kaname was convinced to retrieve her leotard, and Sousuke put it on. It was hot pink.

"Here," Maya said, handing Sousuke something she had grabbed from Kaname's closet. It was a short pleated skirt. "You'll need this too." Seeing him hesitated, she helped him put it on, while all of her friends made cat calls.

"Maybe I should accept the punishment instead," Sousuke said. This was bad. Very _very_ bad. "Methods used during the Edo period would be acceptable…"

"_No Edo!" _A number of girls said.

"**Dance**… **soldier**… **_now!" _**The Asker had seen how that method had worked for someone earlier. Kaname had good luck with it in class, as well.

Sousuke put on his one minute performance. It felt as if it lasted a lifetime. As he leapt and spun, he heard one girl say "We could put the pictures on the Internet." Another said "We could send them in to _Soldier of Fortune _or whatever guys like him read." That was followed by numerous suggestions, including the Post Office, Police Station, Supermarket, and Boy's Locker Room.

The final move was rather spectacular, showing Sousuke's agility to the utmost. It had the girls speechless. And, it had Kyouko very upset.

"I had stipulated 'No photographs.' I am certain that you and everyone else heard me." After somersaulting over Kaname, pirouetting past Ryo, and leaping over Mizuke with his legs split, Sousuke grabbed the camera and tossed it into Kaname's fish tank. "Umpire, was my derriere adequate?" He meant 'sur le cou-de-pied derriere'.

"I… it…" Ren turned bright red. Everyone went silent. They had never seen that before. "Yes…" That answer was followed by all sorts of remarks and chatter.

"So, do _you_ think his derriere is adequate?" Maya asked Kaname.

"Huh?" Kaname began coughing.

"More than adequate?" Ryo asked.

"I… he…" Kaname shut her mouth. No answer was the best answer in situations like this.

"Kaname? Do you need to see that last move again?" Sousuke, naturally, had no idea what 'derriere' meant. "Will _that_ help you decide?"

"**Baka!" **Kaname kicked Sousuke in the shin. Big idiot! "Go in the room and change out of my leotard, before you ruin it. _Honestly." _She grinned, thinking of something. If he made her feel uncomfortable, he should expect the same in return. "If you're back in time, I won't tell Kurz and Melissa what I just saw." She pushed down on the timer. When Sousuke ran from the room, she turned the dial from one minute down to fifteen seconds.

"She digs it," Maya said.

"No doubt about it," Ryo added.

"Did you check out his 'package', too?" The girl who asked that ran for her life, seeing Kaname's face.

When Sousuke returned, Ren tried to tone down the kind of comments spreading throughout the room. After everyone settled own, Sousuke needed to chose the last participant for that segment of the game.

"Kaname, who should I select?" Sousuke looked over at her. Now that he knew what kind of questions had been asked, he was caught in a quandary. First, the person. Second, the question or the challenge.

"Why are you asking _me?" _Kaname asked with a scowl. "If you can pilot…" She coughed behind her hand. "You're a big boy. Figure it out for yourself."

"As you wish," Sousuke said. "Ahhh. I know how. May I have a show of hands? Who here was impressed by my derriere?"

A number of girls raised their hands without thinking. Soon, seeing the ice broken, other girls followed suit. Kaname was not about to do the same. It was neither a Truth nor a dare. Right? Not that she cared, either way. She almost swallowed her tongue, seeing Kyouko lift her hand up.

"I… it…" Kyouko quickly put up another arm, seeing Kaname look her way. "I was just stretching." She faked a long and deep yawn.

"Sousuke…" Ren said. "Do you realize that the word 'derriere' is French for 'behind'?" She paused a moment. "People use it as a word for 'backside'."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke looked around the room, feeling more and more tense by the moment. "Backside…"

"Affirmative," Maya said. "Backside. Posterior. Rear. Bum…"

"Keister," Ryo added. "Fanny. Rump. Tooshie. Butt."

"_Ass," _one of the more outspoken girls finished with.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard, sweating up a storm. Automatically, he looked at each of the girls who had raised her hand. He stopped, looking at Kyouko. "You… Miss Tokiwa… you raised _both_ hands…"

"**Eeep!" **Kyouko squeaked. "I was just stretching, Sousuke."

"I see," Sousuke said, regaining his composure. "I will forget the matter of backsides, posteriors, and rear ends. You shall be my choice. Truth or Dare?"

"But…" Kyouko looked like she wanted to dive under the nearest pile of blankets.

"_Exactly!" _That girl's quip had Ren trying to restore some semblance of order.

"It's OK, Ky." Kaname walked over to stand next to her friend. "I doubt that Sousuke will do anything to embarrass you." She shrugged, and hen tossed her hair. "He's just too clueless…"

"Tr-… Tr-… Truth…" Kaname looked at Sousuke with big soulful eyes. She trembled ever so slightly.

"So be it," Sousuke said. "I take it, I cannot ask her what two events the Japanese faked during World War Two, serving as excuses to invade China?"

"That's OK, Sousuke." Kyouko nodded her head. She gave Ren a pleading look. "I don't know the answer."

"It is not a problem," Sousuke said kindly. "In 1931 an act of sabotage took place on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. It came to be called 'The Kwantung Incident', after the name of the Japanese army guarding the railroad."

"Sousuke…" By now, Kaname was almost too numb to be exasperated. Almost.

"I am answering as quickly as I can, Kaname. Please try to be more patient." Sousuke said. "In response to the so-called dastardly deed, Japan quickly moved to military action that eventually led to the complete takeover of Manchuria, which they renamed Manchukuo and set up with a puppet Chinese ruler. Anti-Japanese forces had not committed any terrorist act. Rather, it had been fabricated by the Japanese military itself."

"S_ousuke_…" Kaname picked up Sousuke's Glock. She knew just what to aim it at. She had heard enough synonyms for backside to last her a lifetime.

"We will not need a re-enactment of the events, Kaname. My words should be sufficient." He turned to speak to Kyouko, wondering why everyone was pressed up against the walls. "In 1937, there occurred the 'Marco Polo Bridge Incident' on the Chinese Manchukuokan border, which lead to the Japanese invasion of China proper. It later turned out that this incident, like its predecessor in 1931, had also been entirely fabricated by the Japanese military. Japan quickly took control of the major Chinese coastal cities, in the course of which their forces committed the infamous Nanking Massacre. Perhaps I will save that as a question for later."

"**_Sousuke_**…" Kaname found herself surrounded by girls, who grabbed the gun out of her hand and through it into another room.

"I'm sorry, Sousuke." Ren sighed. "As informative as that was, I'm afraid that kind of question doesn't fit into the spirit of the game." She looked a silent apology to Kyouko.

"I will acquiesce," Sousuke said. "In this setting, you are the professional." He scratched his head, looking over at Kyouko again. "I find myself in need of a question."

"What did she say in the last love letter she wrote?" One girl asked.

"Has she ever bitten someone else's tongue?" Another girl queried.

"How often does she dream about sex?" That girl was subsequently smacked by every pillow in the room.

"I do not believe those questions are appropriate for Miss Tokiwa," Sousuke said sternly.

That earned him a grateful look from Kyouko. A number of the girls looked at him with dreamy eyes. He was oblivious to the fact that he was changing some opinions about him. Kaname was all too aware. She put the weight on one foot, and then the other, wishing the game would end soon.

"Alright. This will be more practical." Sousuke rubbed his eyes. He fought back a yawn. "If a pervert infiltrated the girl's locker room…"

"You mean like _you_ did, when you were new at school?" Maya smiled. She remembered when Sousuke had opened the door to the dressing area, looking for Kaname. He had claimed that he wanted to join the team, and was sent home handcuffed to a metal folding chair.

"Or like that creepy old guy did, when Tessa came to school." Ryo's comment had Sousuke thinking about Cmdr. Mardukas. That caused his heaviest perspiration of the evening.

"I will continue," Sousuke said in rushed manner. "If a pervert infiltrated the girl's locker room, and you had available to you a combat knife, a grenade, and an assault rifle, which would you use to defend yourself?"

Kaname just closed her eyes and shook her head. It was pointless to say anything.

"Well…" Kyouko smiled. That was a strange question; but, it suited Sousuke. And, she could answer it without embarrassing herself. "The rifle, I guess."

"Excellent choice," Sousuke said, a look of approval on his face. "The grenade would cause too much collateral damage. Unless you were a skilled knife-fighter, your small size would put you at a severe disadvantage." He paused. "If you ever wish to apply to a paramilitary organization, I can… _ooopphhfff_…"

Kaname couldn't help herself. She kicked Sousuke hard in the rear end.

"It looks as if we survived the game," Sousuke said, rubbing his sore behind. "I will be heading home, then."

"_Awwww-www-ww-w…"_

"But Sousuke," Ren said. "That was only the first round."


	5. Chapter 5

The squad had shown signs of attrition.

At least, that was how Sousuke viewed things, looking around the room.

In the first round, the group had played at full strength. During the second round, a few girls had succumb to sleep, and were covered over with blankets. Before the start of this, the third round, a few more had trouble keeping their eyes open.

"OK gang, time for Round Three." Maya held the halisen in her lap. She had been chosen as the Umpire for the next session. _"Huh? _What is it, Sousuke?" She pursed her lips, wondering why Sousuke raise raising his hand. It wasn't like this was homeroom or something.

"Madame Umpire, I must apologize." Sousuke looked someone sheepish. "I can offer no excuse, other than the fact that I found myself in a new environment, and had not gathered sufficient intelligence."

"_Geeeez," _Kaname said, pulling at her hair. "We're all too tired for nonsense."

"**No we're not!" **A chorus of bleary-eyed girls spoke up as one.

"What do you have to apologize for, Sousuke?" Maya grinned, watching Kaname's face. "Is it because you've been staring down Kaname's shirt every chance you got? I'm surprised that someone as sharp as our Student Council Vice President hasn't caught you."

"Wh-… Wh-… _What?" _Hands clenched, Kaname suddenly didn't feel so weary any more. She turned a scathing look on Sousuke.

"But… I have not… Kaname…" Sousuke went stiff. "Miss Mukai, I fail to see why you would claim such a thing."

"I saw it too," Ryo lied. "So did Mizuki and Kyouko," She put her hand over Kyouko's mouth.

"S-… S-… S-…" Kaname's eyes seemed to glow with an unholy light. Sousuke realized that he would much rather face down a Venom with a penknife in hand, than stare into those eyes.

"Perhaps the lack of sleep has affected your judgment, Madame Umpire" Sousuke said, backing slowly away from Kaname, keeping his eyes looking safely at her feet. "I assure you, I have done nothing improper."

"_That's _why you're in trouble," Maya said.

"Right!" Ryo shook her finger at Sousuke. "You didn't peek, and that was what Kaname wanted you to do."

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked up into her face. "Is what the Umpire saying true?" He swallowed hard. "Isn't it the solemn duty of the Team Leader to encourage veracity?"

"You…" Kaname took a step. "You…" She took two more steps. "You total imbecile!" She walked over to stand nose to nose with a sweating Sousuke.

"Think she walked closer to give him another chance?" Mizuki grinned, knowing that she had a ring side seat for Armageddon.

"Yes," Ryo said. "Our plan is working perfectly. This gives her the perfect opportunity."

"But, she'll pretend she's not doing that," a girl added. "Don't let her trick you, Sousuke!"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke fought the urge to look. Before, he had not felt any temptation. Well, not too much. But now, knowing that he wasn't supposed to do it, he found it hard to keep his eyes on Kaname's. He looked downward, only for the briefest of moments. He didn't see anything. She didn't know that.

"**Baka!" **Kaname put her hands on Sousuke's chest and pushed him as hard as she could. That had the startled soldier stumbling backwards, wind milling each of his arms, trying to maintain his balance.

"Urrr-rr-r…" Sousuke tripped over one sleeping girl. He fell hard between two other young women. Each hand landed on the breast of a different girl. Only recently asleep, they both woke of immediately. Spasmodically, Sousuke's hands both contracted, squeezing something ample and pleasantly soft.

"_E-e-e-e-k_…" One girl squeaked.

"You… you… you pervert!" The other girl slapped Sousuke hard across the cheek.

"**S**-… **S**-… **S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!" **Kaname's shout woke anyone who was still asleep. The nerve of that lecherous opportunistic jerk! He probably threw himself down like that on purpose.

"You're in big trouble now, Sousuke." Maya smiled.

"That's right," Ryo said.

"But…" Sousuke held his hands up away from his body, making certain he didn't inadvertently touch someone else.

Kaname looked down at him, sprawled as he was across a number of sleeping rolls. "I hate you, Sousuke. I really do. You're a headache I just don't need!"

Sousuke stood up, after apologizing to the fondled girls and explaining what happened. Without saying another word, he gathered up his clothes, his weapons, and his supply bag. As the girls watched, he strode out onto the darkened balcony. A few moments later, the borrowed pajamas came flying into the room.

"Great job, Kaname." Maya shook her head, a frown on her face.

"That really wasn't fair to Sousuke, you know." Ryo crossed her arms over her chest, looking somewhat stern.

"We tricked him, Kaname." Mizuki said. "You act like you expect him to be perfect all the time. Like you actually are yourself…"

"That's no excuse…" Kaname felt a rush of righteous indignation. Sousuke was about as far from perfect as anyone could be! "You saw what…" She shivered. They just didn't know how she felt. The nonsense that went on at school was only the tip of the iceberg. "It's not just tonight…" Even though Sousuke wasn't to blame for everything that had happened to her life, he was forced to bear the burden of her resentment, because he made things worse just as often as he made things better. Still, if she took a moment to put herself in his shoes… "You're right…"

Wanting to catch Sousuke before he climbed out of view, she hurried towards the balcony, stepping out into the dark. She bumbed into him, while he was in the process of getting dressed.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke froze in the act of pulling on his pants. There was just enough light to see that he was not wearing undergarments. Luckily, the heavy shadows left things mostly up to the imagination.

"Y-… Y-You… Y-Y-You're…" Kaname felt dizzy, as if the world was spinning faster and faster. "N-…N-…" She couldn't get the word 'naked' out.

"Not for much longer," Sousuke said, his voice coming out in a croak. "I will need you to… uhhh… take your hand off of…uhhh…" When Kaname brought her hand back like she had touched a hot stove, he managed to get his trousers up and zippered. He then slipped his shirt over his head, relieved that none of the other girls were standing at the sliding glass door, looking on.

"I… it wasn't… you know…" Kaname didn't know whether she should jump off of the balcony, or run and crawl under her bed for the next ten years. "I'm sorry. It was an accident!" She bowed her head. If Sousuke wanted to, he could leave her embarrassed until the Crack of Doom, just by walking back inside and telling her friends what she had just done.

"That is the story of my mission guarding you," Sousuke said, pulling on his shirt. "It seems that I have done more harm to you than those that have taken you captive in the past." He slung his weapons, shouldered his bag, and readied the Tactical ResQMax. "This evening was no exception." He tested the wind with a few a few small pieces of paper.

"No… it's not really that bad…" Kaname put her hand on Sousuke's grapnel launcher, lowering it. She tried to find some way to explain things. "Remember when we were onboard the submarine, and you came back from that island, and Melissa was hurt…" She spoke quietly, so no one else could hear. "When I offered comfort… you were really upset… and you said that everything had been bad since you met me…"

"I was frustrated," Sousuke said, feeling ashamed of the things he had said back then. "Things were not like I was used to… nothing seemed to be going well…" He looked out over the city.

"That's the story of my life with you guarding me," Kaname said, softly, tears coming to her eyes. "So many things are out of my control, now. Sometimes…" She sighed. It was too hard to put into words just then. "I just want to say that I don't really hate you, OK?" When Sousuke stood unmoving, she felt a need to add something more. "I'll try to get less angry with you."

"That is kind of you," Sousuke said. "You should get back to your friends. They will wish to resume their game."

"_We _should get back, you big idiot." Kaname yanked on Sousuke's sleeve. She couldn't believe that she passed up a perfect opportunity to send him back to his apartment. But, if there was such thing as karma, things should go a lot better for her if he stayed. "Unless you're afraid…"

"No," Sousuke said, immediately standing straighter. He lowered the line launcher and let the bag slide down along his arm. "I will not leave this mission incomplete."

When the two of them walked back into the crowded room, all of the girls were waiting, hushed. Some of them smiled when they saw Sousuke. Others scowled and sighed. The remainder simply shrugged, worked their way back under their blankets, and tried to get back to sleep.

"So, what took you guys so long?" Mizuki rubbed her hands together.

"You _were_ dressed, weren't you, Sousuke?" Ryo raised an eyebrow.

"Kaname didn't take advantage of you, _did _she?" Maya smiled.

"**Negative!" **Sousuke went stiff. Fortunately, the stiffness involved his entire body, not simply the part that Kaname had grabbed by mistake. "Miss Chidori would _never_ do such a thing intentionally!" That much was certainly true.

"Of course not," Kaname said. "One pervert is more than plenty. _Ah hah hah hah hah hah-h-h-h-h-h_…" Both she and Sousuke turned bright red.

"Mmm Hmmm…" Maya took out a brush and worked on her hair a bit. "I guess we should get back to the game. What was it you were trying to say before, Sousuke?"

"The name of the game is 'Truth or Dare'. It is simple to see whether or not a person completes a Dare. However, we have _not _established any method to ensure that the game players are actually telling the truth." Sousuke hung his head. "I apologize. If I had not been unsettled by being in an unfamiliar situation, I would have seen to that earlier."

"That's alright," Kaname said sweetly. "The game is based on trust. There's no need to…" She was interrupted.

"As Umpire, I will be the judge of that." Maya winked at Ryo. They both knew just how much Kaname was allergic to Sousuke's otaku explanations and suggestions. She deserved this, after snapping at him earlier. "What could you have done?"

"But…" Kaname waved her hands frantically.

"_Shhhh-hhh-hh-h…" _The girls all shushed her.

"He'll…" Kaname shook her head, wanting to nip things in the bud.

"_**SHHHHHH-HHHHH-HHHH-HHH-HH-H…"**_

"As you all know…" Sousuke said, standing with his legs spread apart and his arms behind him. He spoke in a steady conversationally tone, as if he was lecturing a group of cadets. "…Interrogation is the process of interviewing a source to obtain information that the source would not otherwise willingly disclose. A typical purpose is not to force a confession, but rather to develop sufficient rapport, playing on the source's character, to prompt the source to disclose his information. There are multiple possible methods of interrogation including deception, torture, increasing suggestibility, and mind-altering drugs."

"Sousuke…" Kaname bit her lip, knowing that she had promised Sousuke that she would keep her temper.

"Fascinating," Ryo said, leaning forward, pretending to look interested.

"Very," another girl added, keeping a straight face.

"Conveniently, sleep deprivation can also be effective." Sousuke looked at the number of sleeping bags strewn across the largest room in the apartment. "If necessary, I could also have used exposure to extremes of cold and heat, or the practice of placing prisoners in stress positions for agonizing lengths of time." He looked up. "No, not prisoners. My mistake. Players."

"_Sousuke_…" Kaname grabbed hold of the fabric on both sides of her pajama bottoms. She tried to slow her breathing.

"Kaname's in a stress position most of the time," Kyouko said to Ren.

"You're probably right," Ren replied.

"Equipment can also prove useful," Sousuke continued, warming to his subject. "A polygraph instrument is basically a combination of medical devices that are used to monitor changes occurring in the body. As a person is questioned about a certain event or incident, the examiner looks to see how the person's heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and electro-dermal activity change in comparison to normal levels. Fluctuations may indicate that person is being deceptive, but exam results are open to interpretation by the examiner." He spoke in a very stern tone. "However, there are limitations. Polygraphy, like voice analysis, relies on second-hand signs of lying which a good actor can suppress. Furthermore, someone who is telling the truth might exhibit just these signals, because the very act of being questioned by the authorities is stressful. Instead, current research is looking directly at the source of lies, the brain itself."

"_S-o-u-s-u-k-e…" _Kaname began shuffling her feet some. She looked edgy, like a sprinter getting ready for the first race of the year, or a batter waiting for the first pitch of a game.

"Do you have that kind of equipment?" Mizuki swallowed hard. If he did, just what would that say about him?

"Negative. But, I know of people who do. Had I been thinking, I could have asked to have the necessary items delivered to my apartment." Sousuke looked somewhat depressed.

"Darn," Ryo said, hiding a smile behind her hand.

"What a shame," Maya added.

"Really?" Sousuke looked at the two girls. "There may still be time, if you wish…"

"_**SOU**_-_mrphlbrglfrblmrph_…" One of Kaname's friends placed her hand over her mouth.

"We should consider all possibilities, then." Sousuke no longer sounded downtrodden. "So we can select the methods most appropriate for a slumber party. A second technique that can essentially probe the brain directly during questioning is the cognomens. The subject wears a headband that beams infra-red light through their skulls and into their brains. Part of this light is reflected back, and the pattern of reflection indicates activity in the tissue it has been reflected from. EEG devices are a third alternative, with greater than ninety-nine accuracy at determining the veracity of certain kinds of statements." Sousuke rubbed his chin for a moment. "Experiments are also being done with brain scan technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging , MRIs. Researchers have created scenarios in which study subjects will lie predictably. They observe blood flow within subjects' brains as they alternately lie and tell the truth. That has allowed them to identify the specific areas in the brain where lies are formed." He sighed. "Such equipment is not portable, however."

"_Mrglbrflnrmlbrglfrph_…" Kaname struggled to break free. Two additional friends had hold of her arms.

"Another method involves substances used as so-called truth serums. Sodium pentothal, the most commonly known speech-inducing compound, makes people more talkative, but not necessarily more honest. This problem has dogged US spymasters for more than a half century." Sousuke began pacing as he lectured. Some of the girls he walked past actually seemed genuinely interested in his discourse.

"My father is a veterinarian at the zoo," one girl said. "He and his partners use Sodium Pentothal. When an animal is injured and needs an examination, a quick dose of the drug by tranquilizer dart gives few minutes to the veterinarian to do the examination. It can also be used to calm down a large animal that needs to be shipped from one place to another. The medication slows the metabolism and minimizes the stress and excitement."

"Maybe Kaname could use some of that," Mizuki quipped.

"Then we have a source, should we need that drug." Sousuke nodded his head. "Excellent. We also have limited quantities of alcohol."

""In vino, veritas", one girl from the Latin club offered.

"Precisely," Sousuke said. "While the use of such is illegal at our age, it is far less reprehensible than utilization of other drugs that the CIA and other national intelligence agencies have experimented with. I doubt that anyone brought mescaline, barbiturates, LSD, or certain extracts of marijuana. If need be…"

"_**S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!"**_

Kaname had managed to break free. Anger and disbelief growing with each step, she made her way over to Sousuke.

"Kaname… what…" Sousuke looked puzzled. Why was Kaname upset?

"Idiot… imbecile… _moron_… _dunce_… _d-u-n-d-e-r-h-e-a-d_… _d-o-l-t_… **_numbskull_**… **_simpleton_**… **_h-a-l-f-w-i-t_**… **_m-e-n-t-a-l d-e-f-e-c-t-i-v-e_**… **_OTAKU JERK!"_**

"Quite a vocabulary," Mizuki said.

"Kaname's a straight 'A' student," Kyouko said proudly.

"…" Sousuke opened his mouth but didn't have opportunity to speak.

"There will be _no_ lie detectors. There will be _no_ infrared whatever. There will be _no _EEGs. And there will be absolutely _no_ drugs of any kind!" Kaname poked Sousuke hard in the chest with each assertion.

"But Kaname, you promised you wouldn't get angry…" Sousuke blinked rapidly.

"I said I'd try," Kaname retorted. "I _did_ try. You would try the temper of a Saint!"

"They're so cute together," one girl said.

"You'd think they were married or something," another added.

"Young love." The third girl placed her chin on her hands and sighed. Both Sousuke and Kaname froze hearing that.

"We probably should let you two get a room or something," Maya said, her efforts a major success. "But, we have Truth or Dare to play."

When Sousuke and Kaname sat back down, it was as far apart as possible. When the vote was taken, the girls chose to change the arrangement. Now, each person would get a turn to ask a question that everyone had to answer, the Asker included.

"Did you ever try to run away from home?" That was the first question asked.

"Yes," Kaname answered, when it was her turn. "When I was seven and a half years old. The police found me and returned me home the following day." She thought back to those days. The problems she had then were so minor compared to the ones she faced now.

"Affirmative," Sousuke said. "Numerous times. After my parents were killed by Russian soldiers in front of me, I hid in the homes of family friends. But, with my parents gone, those friends were no longer very friendly." He felt no unease, sharing his life's story. He had done that with Mithril councilors on a number of occasions. "The orphanages were worse. It was difficult, avoiding those that wished to victimize me. So, I chose to leave. I could not leave the mujahideen camps, however. I would have been viewed as a possible informant and hunted down." Everyone was quiet after he finished. Suddenly, everyone's problems seemed small in comparison. They all began to understand just what kind of things he had been through.

"Well, let's not bring things down too much," Maya said. "Kyouko, what's your question?"

"Ummm… let's see…what is your favorite perfume?" Kyouko asked.

When it came down to Sousuke, he scratched his head. "If I do not know the name of any perfumes, do I need to take a Dare? Or, do I receive a punishment?"

"I think we can let it slide just this once, Mister." Maya smiled, using one of Kaname's words for Sousuke. "Kaname, why don't you go into your bathroom, and bring in your perfumes. Girls, anyone who brought a perfume or two, take them out. Why don't we have a little contest."

Rather than act shy or disinterested, many of the girls hurried to get out their favorite fragrances. Some merely unscrewed the tops or sprayed perfume on paper or cotton balls. Some of the young ladies chose to spray it on themselves, or put some behind their ears.

Kaname was left feeling somewhat undecided. First, she wasn't too happy with the idea of Sousuke judging any of the scents that she liked. No doubt the big idiot would say something like 'I much prefer the smell of the standard issue insect repellent' or 'that smell is only slightly less objectionable than the medical waste at a field hospital'. Second, she wasn't too keen on those chattering ninnies fawning over Sousuke. That would give him a swelled head. He didn't need that, right? Someone had to look after him. Third, she didn't know if she should put some on herself. If she did, where? Her wrist? Neck? Behind her ears? Certainly not her cleavage!

"Well, it's only a game, after all…" Kaname sprayed some on her arms, whispering to herself. When it came time for Sousuke to try out her chosen scents, she felt ready to faint. She was left feeling disappointed when he commended her for a valiant attempt, and moved on. Chiding herself, she listened eagerly for the names of the perfumes, when Sousuke pointed to his finalists.

"Angéliques Sous la Pluie, by Jean-Claude Ellena." One girl held her hands over her head, clasped.

"Shiseido Zen," Mizuki said, startled to have been included in final fragrances.

"Eau Parfumée Extrême, by Bvlgaria." Ren smiled sweetly and passed her perfume bottle amongst the other girls.

"Mine is by Dominique Ropion," one girl said. "It features notes of tuberose, orange blossom, coconut and camphor." She started blushing. She didn't give the name.

"I believe that last one is my favorite," Sousuke said solemnly. He wasn't certain how important perfume was to a girl. If it was anywhere near as important as weapons selection was to him, he did not wish to hurt anyone's feelings. "You were all exceptional combatants… uhhh… I mean…"

"We know, Sousuke." One girl smiled. "But, why didn't you tell us what it's called?" She directed that to the girl who won the brief little competition.

Kaname opened her mouth to second that request. Looking at Sousuke, she bit her tongue. She couldn't allow herself to sound to eager. Besides, why should she care?

"It's… well…" The girl looked down at her feet. "'Carnal Flowers.'" She immediately tensed up when the other girls teased her.

"I read about that one," Ryo said. "One magazine called it the ultimate seduction perfume." She looked over at Sousuke. "No wonder he likes it."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke's eyes went wide. "Were you trying to seduce me?"

The girl went as pale as a sheet. The other girls threw their pillows at Sousuke. Kaname fought down the urge to clobber him with the nearby pedestal table. After things settled back down, Maya got things back on track. It was Ryo's turn, and she asked "What was the last thing you asked about when you visited a fortune teller?" The next girl asked "What part of your best friend's character would you like to change?" That had Kyouko coming close to taking a Dare. The following Truth, "Who do you know with the cutest buns," caused a bit of a stir.

Sousuke answered 'Moomin Bakery Café.' The girls were in too much of a tizzy to deride him for too long. Kaname, hating to seem cowardly, immediately took a Dare, able to keep from looking in Sousuke's direction. She was not the only one to avoid taking the Truth. Fortunately, the challenges were somewhat tame. She ended up wearing clown make-up courtesy of the other girls.

"It does not bring out her better features," Sousuke said. "And, it is impractical. Camouflage paint should allow one to blend in with the environment one is moving through. Perhaps she could blend in with my nightmares, but little else."

Kaname had smiled, hearing that Sousuke thought that she had 'better features.' But, the rest was far too otaku. Also, the reference to _her_ being in _his_ nightmare was backwards. Once again moving without thinking, she found an unopened soda. It was warm. It was wet. It was soon all over Sousuke's head.

That little vignette prompted the next question: "In your nightmares, who do you run from?" After everyone answered, they moved onto "Have you ever dated someone who was married?" When everyone answered 'no', a girl asked "How did your last pet die?"

"Land mine," Sousuke said.

Everyone froze. One girl, usually somewhat timid, asked "And the one before that?"

"Soup," Sousuke answered.

"Awww, poor thing." Another girl said. "It choked to death?"

"No," Sousuke replied, shaking his head. "Food was scarce in the camp." That answer quickly changed the subject.

The game continued. Lack of sleep eroded inhibitions. The fact that the punch had been spiked with alcohol, and the entire large punch bowl was empty, gave a hint that some of the girl's judgment might be a bit impaired. While the night was already memorable, thing had not exploited the potential of a risqué Truth or Dare fun fest. Yet.

"If you had a Genie lamp, how long would you rub it until the Genie came out?" That girl's question had a number of faces turning bright red. A few girls slid into their sleeping bags and covered their heads. It was an obvious double entendre, and everyone but Sousuke picked up on it.

"That question is disallowed," Maya said, even though she was rather mischievous herself. The question itself was the joke, and few people would give any answer worth hearing.

"Madame Umpire, why was that question terminated?" Sousuke had his hand raised again.

"It…" Maya's mouth fell open. The only boy in the room was the one who had to ask! "You see…" He had asked her. By rights, as Umpire, she should probably answer, or tell him to forget about it. But, power brings its privileges. "Do we have any volunteers?" She looked around the room, hoping no one would step up to the plate. "OK, I'll choose someone then…" She began looking around the room slowly.

Kaname fliched. She had been targeted more than her fair share already. She knew exactly who Maya would pick. Let her! She was _not_ about to explain that one to Sousuke.

"Hmmm…. I know…" Maya smiled. "K-…" She paused. The other girls looked relieved, and some came out of their sleeping bags. "K-…" A large smile creased her face when she saw the face that Kaname made. "K-…" The tension had built to a climax. "Kyouko."

The room went dead quiet, followed by an explosion of noise that woke anyone still asleep. Kaname felt a great feeling of relief wash over her; but, she felt angry just the same. Kyouko was too sweet to be picked on that way, even if it was by one of her friends. Kyouko's glasses slid off of her nose.

"A very apt choice," Sousuke said, nodding. "Miss Tokiwa is very kind, and does not criticize me for my lack of understanding, the way that Kaname does." He looked over at Kyouko. "She is also very knowledgeable. No doubt she has sufficient experience with the subject at hand."

Kyouko swooned. Ren rushed to comfort her. The girls all glared at Sousuke, as if he purposefully caused their friend to collapse. "I think we spent far too much time with that one," Maya said, feeling guilty. "Next Truth."

"If you were a piece of cake…" The girl had a wicked gleam in her eye. If they thought the last question was fun, they hadn't seen anything yet. "… Who would you want to eat you?"

Everyone threw pillows, blankets, and just about everything else, as the Asker. Maya was very quick to disqualify that question as well.

"Madame Umpire, why was that question terminated too?" Sousuke's hand was waving in the air. "This is all very suspicious."

"**N-E-V-E-R M-I-N-D-!"**

Everyone in the room shouted at the same time. That brought more angry knocks from the neighbors next door. Kaname asked the other partygoers to try and keep it down. Her friends all promised to be quieter. They did not swear to make the game any tamer.

"If you were to drink your fill of wine from someone's mouth, who would you choose?" That question had everyone whispering to one another. They turned their eyes on Maya, who raised the halisen and said "Go for it!"

Most of the girls got into the spirit of the game, going for Truth. There was a lot of blushing, giggling, and applause. When it came Kaname's turn, a feeling of electricity spread throughout the room. There wad a lot of groaning and exasperated sighs when she chose 'Dare.'

"Hmmmmm… how brave…" Maya tapped the halisen against her leg. "Well, I know what fits." She grinned. The girls were all letting her choose the Dares, after she canvassed them for their approval. "Kaname, for the next minute, you need to make your way around the apartment, acting like a chicken."

"Yeh!" "Alright!" "Good one!" Everyone clapped. A few of the girls threw popcorn on the floor for Kaname to peck up. One partygoer was smacked on the head with the paper fan when she tried to empty a bowl of popcorn in Sousuke's lap.

"Buck… buck… buck…" Kaname didn't feel humiliated. She had avoided a very sticky situation. Not only didn't she want to answer her friends, she had no desire to make any kind of admission to herself. "Buck… buck… buck…" Flapping her elbows and bobbing her head, she bent down every so often to peck up some popcorn. "Buck… buck… buck…" She almost choked, thinking what Sousuke might say about her poultry routine some time in the future. Big stupid head! Loser!

"I have a joke," Sousuke said, remembering something he had been told by a grizzled old veteran of multiple wars.

"This is a night for firsts!" Ryo looked incredulous.

"Wow," Mizuki said. "I can tell my children that I was there when he did it."

"What is your joke?" Ren smiled.

"The military was posed a simple question. 'Why did the chicken cross the road?' Various divisions gave their answers." Sousuke stood up. He had center stage. There was no reason that he shouldn't be able to engage in light-hearted conversation like the others did. "The training and doctrine office answered 'The purpose is to familiarize the chicken with road-crossing procedures. Road-crossing should be performed only between the hours of sunset and sunrise. Solo chickens must have at least three miles of visibility and a safety observer."

The girls all looked at one another and sighed.

"Buck…" Kaname spat out some popcorn.

"The commander of the Special Forces unit said 'The chicken crossed at a ninety-degree angle to avoid prolonged exposure to a line of communication. To achieve maximum surprise, the chicken should have performed this maneuver at dark using night vision goggles, preferably near a road bend in a valley'." Sousuke's eye lit up. He wasn't usually one to laugh, but this was funny.

Maya hung her head. She should have vetoed this from the start.

"_Buck_…" Kaname flapped her 'wings' angrily.

"The officers in Personnel Command replied 'Due to the needs of the armed forces, the chicken was involuntarily reassigned to the other side of the road. This will be a three-year controlled tour and we promise to give the chicken a good-deal assignment afterwards. Every chicken will be required to do one road-crossing during its career, and this will not affect its opportunities for future promotion'." He paused, wondering why no one was laughing. They must be waiting for the punch line.

A number of the girls gathered in small groups, discussing their favorite singing groups and television shows.

"**_Buck_**…" Kaname sounded like a chicken about to go postal.

"The response from Military Intelligence was as follows…" Sousuke felt a rush of expectation. It was time for the big finale. It was like pouring the last few shots necessary into any enemy armored vehicle, watching the vehicle brew up. "'_What _chicken?" He looked perplexed, when everyone remained silent. "You see, the term 'military intelligence' is actually an oxymoron…"

"The moron part is right," Mizuki said.'

"Ohhh Sousuke…" Kyouko hung her head.

"_**BUCK… BUCK… BUCK… BUCK… BUCK…"**_

Kaname couldn't help herself. She went ballistic. She hit Sousuke hard, with pillow after pillow. Soon, feathers were flying about the room again. If it had been colder in the room, the girls might have imagined themselves in the middle of a heavy snow storm.

"Kaname, you ruined the opportunity for people to respond to my joke." Sousuke had a look of disappointment on his face. That, and a coating of feathers.

"_Ooooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o_…" Kaname looked ready to let him have it again.

"Why don't you settle down some, Kaname." Maya said. "It's time for Sousuke to answer the Truth." That had everyone paying attention again.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a Heavy Equipment Transporter.


	6. Chapter 6

The room was dead silent.

Everyone was staring at Sousuke. Things were really starting to get interesting.

"I think…"

Sousuke rubbed at his neck. He blinked rapidly, and his skin felt all prickly. This was worse than standing for review before one of the Mithril High Council members.

If he mentioned the name of a girl in that room, it would be scandalous. Should he mention the name of a girl who went to their school, but wasn't at the party, that would be almost as good. If he failed to mention anyone they knew, it might prove interesting to see if any of the other girls acted disappointed.

Of course, if he mentioned a guy's name, things would go crazy. No one thought _that _way about him. In fact, a number of the girls desperately hoped that wasn't the case. While they might have detested him before, and had been annoyed by his earlier attempts to continue his Japanese History studies during the party, his innate goodness was having an effect. He was like a pearl in a bushel of oysters. Someone just had to shuck away a lot of naivety and clueless behavior, but there'd be something good left when she was done.

**Thump bump…thump bump… thump bump…thump bumb…**

"The girl I would select…"

Sousuke's heartbeat was loud in his ears. There was a number of reasons for that. First, the room was unbelievably quiet. Second, for some unknown reason, the question set him on the edge of panic. Third, there were dangers. He was at risk of touching his own feelings. That could easily be circumvented. He faced the possibility of insulting someone by naming her. He could live with that. But, there was another issue, and it had him feeling uncharacteristically concerned.

What if he upset someone by _not_ naming her?

_**Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…**_

Kaname felt dizzy again. Waiting for Sousuke's answer had her sitting on pins and needles. It was like she was playing a game of emotional Russian Roulette. Did she want to find an empty chamber, or hear that loud bang? Fingernails digging into her palms, she told herself to get real. It didn't matter. She hated the fact that most boys saw her as an idol. But, to be fair, she could see why they would think that way.

Even before she had been identified as one of the Whispered, she had too afraid to risk opening her heart up, especially after the time she had in Junior High. She put all of her effort into doing things or accomplishing things. Why? Because she would be too busy to worry about feeling things?

**Thumpbump… thumpbump… thumpbump… thumpbumpthump bumpthumpbump…**

"The one whose lips I would drink wine from…"

Sousuke looked over at the clock appropriated from the Chess Club. The hand on the timer was moving steadily along. He had to give an answer soon. One name kept coming up. That girl was often near him. That girl had been through trying times with him. That girl had shown him kindness where others had ignored him or treated him like a gun-toting leper.

But, did that make her the right answer? As often as she was kind, she was unyielding and standoffish. While she brought him lunch and helped him study, she also found myriad ways to punch, kick, and smack him with some degree of frequency. Could someone who left him feeling confused be the one?

There was more. In his life, there always seemed to be more. She was not merely his classmate. He was not a high school student, even though he took courses at Jindai High. He was Sgt. Sousuke Sagara, member of Mithril, assigned to the SRT, currently operating under cover. She was Kaname Chidori, one of the Whispered, target for organizations with unknown intentions.

"**_Thump thump thump skip thump thump thump slip thump thump thump skip thump thump…_**

"Do you want to try things out again?" Maya had to clear her throat to ask. "You know, like with the perfumes." The suspense was really getting to her. It was silly, since it was only Sousuke Sagara, class anomaly. Just the same, her pulse was racing. She didn't want to _be_ the answer. She just felt a burning need to hear the answer. She wasn't alone in feeling that way.

Kaname suddenly felt the urge to run to the bathroom. She didn't know if it was stress, a nervous reaction, or the fact that she had finished off more than her fair share of the punch once Sousuke had started getting on the one good nerve she had left. But, no matter what she might want to admit to herself, it would take a team of elephants to pull her away from this spectacle.

What would she feel if Sousuke mentioned her? What if he mentioned someone else? Would it really matter? Knowing that moron, he was probably calculating lip vectors, mouth volumes, or something else totally otaku. The answer didn't mean anything either way, right?

"Negative," Sousuke answered. "I would choose…" He looked around the room slowly. His eyes focused on Kaname. She would indeed be the easy answer. Part of him kept saying that it was merely due to familiarity. But, he was familiar with a lot of people. Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. Kurz. Melissa. Cmdr. Mardukas. Captain Testarossa. The mechanics and ordinance crew aboard the TDD-1. The old woman he bought pork buns from at school.

He began to sweat even more. The image of Richard Mardukas puckering up threatened to carve at least ten years off of his life. Worse, thinking about Tessa had him feeling a lump in his throat. She was a kind person. She would be attractive, were she not his commanding officer. She smelled nice.

But, familiarity was not the only issue.

**THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…**

Kaname began having flashback to moments in the past.

She was sitting on a bench at a train station, laughing about a nut case who had just thrown himself off of a train, but seemed to clueless about how other people viewed him. She was standing close to someone, lost in his eyes, before his wounded comrade broke the spell. She was feeling very down, even though her friends were visiting her in the hospital, until someone walked in through the door. She was relieved to see that someone was alive, thinking that her rash actions might have gotten him killed. She was riding on the back of a bicycle, her hair floating on the breeze. She was floating down from a great height, thanks to a large balloon. Someone had been frightened, thinking she was covered with blood instead of paint. She was wearing her mother's kimono, strolling by the lake.

In stark contrast, Sousuke began to feel as if he was trapped with no way to escape. He did not wish to probe his feelings any further. How would any good come out of that? It might be too late, just the same. His brief moment of soul searching may well act like a small bomb exploding at a dam facility. There may only be a small trickle of water rushing out now. What if the dam gave way?

In some ways, he was indeed cornered. Memories from his earlier days came rushing in. He was in a dark and garbage strewn alleyway in Kabul cornered by three fierce guard dogs. He was running through a ravine in the forbidding hills of Northern Afghanistan, a stub-winged Mi-24 Hind , the _Shaitan-Arba_, on his tail. In Lebanon, he was cut off from his group, barely able to keep one step ahead of a fiendishly talented sniper. In Cambodia, he was submerged in the murky water of a snake infested river, breathing through a reed, as insurgents beat at the long nearby weeds with their bayonet-tipped rifles. On the flight deck of _Da Danaan_, the sea water washing over the sides, he was caught in the embrace of Gauron's A.S. as the self-destruct device counted down.

For a moment, he looked for the naked and spectral form of Kaname, hoping that it could offer him some way out of this situation, too. That was not exactly the ideal thought for that given instant.

His ears turned bright red. "The ideal choice for me would be…"

_**THUMP… THUMP THUMP… THUMP… THUMP THUMP THUMP… THUMP**_

Kaname opened her mouth to shout 'Just get it over with, already!' If this went on any longer, any number of girls might do the same.

"It's…" Sousuke swallowed hard.

"_Yes-s-s-s-s?" _The girls all leaned forward.

"It's best that…" Sousuke knew what he had to do.

"_Yes-s-s-s-s?" _The party-goers felt as if nothing existed in the world outside of that room.

"It is in my best interest to choose…"

"_Yes-s-s-s-s?" _That was Kaname. The other girls were too busy staring at Sousuke to realize that she was only one speaking that time.

"I believe that it is in my best interest to choose 'Dare'." Sousuke said.

Every girl fell over, down to the last one. It looked as if someone had been playing pick-up sticks with pajama-clad young women. This initial disappointment was so thick, that one couldn't have sliced it with a monomolecular cutter or Anti-armor dagger. But, that only meant that they would need to get their satisfaction from the Dare.

"I see," Maya said, from behind clenched teeth. "You chose 'Dare'. Well. Why don't we get down to business and decide just what that Dare is going to be."

For a moment, Sousuke felt as if he was surrounded by a ring of gargoyles, or animated stone statues, with glowing embers for eyes. Even in the heat of battle, he had never felt his hairs stand on end like they were now.

Some of the suggestions were physically impossible. Others included hanging Sousuke off of the balcony; tying him up and making crawl home like an inchworm; and tattooing his entire body with lipstick and indelible ink. It was amazing how fast Sousuke had gone from 'actually kinda cute' and 'he's a nice guy after all' to 'boy is he gonna get it' and 'show no mercy'.

"Ahhhh-hhh-hh-h…." One girl snapped her fingers, an excited look on her face. "I've _got _it." She chuckled evilly. "It's perfect."

"What is it?" Maya asked.

"Well, did any of you watch the television show about gambling?" The girl smiled when a couple of her classmates raised their hands. "Remember what they showed in one of the casinos, when they switched to the part about Las Vegas in America?"

"You don't mean…" Another girl's eyes went very wide. "You think we should get him to…" She looked over at Sousuke.

"You bet!" The one girl rubbed her hands together. "There's no way to top this one." She flounced her hair, knowing that her suggestion would earn her a lot of status points. Sure, 'whatever happens in Truth or Dare stays in Truth or Dare' was a good rule. But, it was impossible to enforce. "Chippendales."

"**Guk!" **Kaname spat out some soda she had been drinking. It left a big wet spot on her pajama top, but she didn't notice. She knew what the Chippendales were.

"What's that?" Mizuki asked, wondering why Kaname had acted that way.

"Oh my…" Ren knew as well. She had gone to her cousin's bachelorette party. There had been male dancers patterned after the originals in the United States.

"No way… that's… it's just too demeaning…" Kaname put her hands on her hips. "It's _mrphlbrglmrprph_…" She struggled when a number of girls tried to put a stocking in her mouth again.

"Will you do it, Sousuke?" Maya asked. Obviously, she would allow that Dare. "Or will you submit to punishment." She didn't bother to explain to him just what the Chippendales were. She looked over at Kaname who was no doubt struggling to do just that.

"The punishment will be something that involves Kaname," one girl said, guessing that would help sway him.

"And it will be more than just kissing," another girl said, operating on the same wavelength.

"That is unacceptable," Sousuke said. "I will not allow anything to be done to Kaname when she has not earned any punishment herself." He paused. "I will accept the Dare." Just how bad could it be? If the Chippendales were some kind of terrorist group, he could refuse both Dare and punishment without any loss of honor.

"Do you promise," Ryo asked, figuring that this ought to be interesting, even though she had no idea what the other girls were talking about.

"Affirmative. On my honor." He held up his hand and took out his combat knife. "I will swear a blood oath, if necessary."

"**YOU IDIOT!"**

Kaname had finally broken free. The other girls all had bruised shins. "Why didn't you ask them what they had in mind, first. Sousuke, you should know better than that. You're an op-…" She closed her mouth before saying 'operative'.

"I understand, Kaname." Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. "But, it wouldn't matter what the Dare was. Your honor comes first." That statement had a number of girls going goo goo eyed. Kaname brought her hand to her mouth and blushed. "I will need someone to explain my mission to me."

"It's an all woman show," one girl said.

"With men dancers," another added.

"But they don't just dance…" A third girl worked her hair around her finger.

"Clarify," Sousuke said. His serious voice and look had a number of girls giggling. "What are the duties and obligations of the dancer? You still have not provided sufficient mission parameters."

"You can't really ask him to do this," Kaname said. If Sousuke could stand up for her honor, she could do no less for him. It wasn't just a matter of friendship. She wasn't about to let that big idiot one-up her. "You're taking advantage of him."

"He accepted, Kaname." Maya waved the halisen. "And it's all in fun."

"The Chippendales are like the ultimate girls night out for women of all ages," the one girl explained. "They start off in all sorts of outfits, usually including skintight leather pants, white cuffs, collar, and bow tie at some point." She smiled an evil smile. "No matter how they start, they end up in next to nothing."

"Like a G-string," one girl called out.

"G-string?" Sousuke looked puzzled. "This has something to do with musical instruments?"

"We _will_ need music," one girl piped up. "Dance music would be great. Let's go see what Kaname has in her collection."

"Negative," one girl said, aping Sousuke. "Think 'thong'."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke knew what _that _word meant. "But I…" He went totally rigid. "I have no such clothing…" Such things were definitely not military issue, not even for Melissa Mao.

"We'll make do," one of the party-goers said. "You're pretty flexible I bet. Good stamina, too."

"I bet he's lean and hard, too." One girl chuckled. "Though I doubt he ripped or chiseled." She straightened her lapels. "Can't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"But you can look everywhere else." That girl's comment had Kyouko dropping her drink.

Kaname was busy debating whether she should stay out in the main room, or head back into her room. No. there really wasn't any choice. She needed to keep an eye on the others, to make certain things didn't go too far. Thinking of something, she actually smiled. Sousuke could have blackmailed her with knowledge of her Chicken routine, had he been apt to do that kind of thing. Now they would each have their own embarrassing moment. No. This would put her one up. She had almost forgotten about the ballet routine.

"I don't know if this is fair," Ren offered. "I mean, what if Sousuke told one of us that we had to do a dance like the women in the strip clubs." As innocent as Ren seemed, she knew all about such places, since her father's Yakusa group ran a number of them, and collected protection money from others. "I can guess how you would all react."

All of the girls went silent for a minute. It looked like Ren's words had hit the mark.

"It's OK," one girl said. "We're girls. He's a guy. We can apologize to him afterwards."

"He owes me," one girl said. "He owes _all_ of use. How many of our lockers has he blown up?" That was followed by a ground-swell of complaints and claims.

"I must dance in explicit clothing?" Sousuke was sweating heavily. "That is the requirement for this Dare?"

"Not just dance," Maya said. "You have to gyrate."

"You'll have to do the bump and grind," another girl said. "Not to mention flirt… and take your clothes off one piece at a time."

"And sit in any girl's lap who wants you to." That girl began coughing. "Not that anyone would want that…"

"Bump and grind?" Sousuke frowned. That sounded like some kind of torture routine. That would be unfair, since they denied him the ability to use interrogation techniques earlier. Take his clothes off? Lap? "Uhhh…"

Laughing, a number of girls stood up to show Sousuke what the 'bump and grind' entailed.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him, just as they used to do at the crack of dawn at boot camp. "Uhhh…"

The girls were ruthless. Sousuke's request to be released from his promise were met with folded arms and shaking heads. There was no way that they were going to let this golden opportunity slip away. The folded arms were followed by the folding of money. The shaking heads were followed by shaking hips, as some of the girls got up to dance.

"Sousuke…" Kaname didn't know what to feel. Part of her was sad, seeing Sousuke trapped this way. Despite his profession, he was still an innocent in many ways. Another part of her was unforgiving, feeling that the scruffy moron deserved something like this, after all of the headaches and heartaches he left in his otaku wake. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was getting caught up in the spirit of the game, just as the other girls were. Wouldn't it be fun to see a guy do this, as part of a Dare? Wouldn't it be a memory that would last forever, one way or another?

Still, it was Sousuke. That had her tugging at her hair. He would put his unique stamp on things, one way or another. She was sure of it.

"Alright, let's select the song!" Maya clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention. The suggestions came swiftly, as the girls looked through a stack of CDs.

"Kiki Vee, 'Shame on you'…" Ryo's suggestion had everyone grinning.

"Asteroid, 'Breaking the rules'…" That girl's choice fit the mood, too.

"Misa, 'Banzai'…" Mizuki blushed, after blurting that out.

"Bianca, 'Crush'…" Kyouko played with one of her pigtails.

"Ky…" Kaname's mouth fell open. She stared at her friend in disbelief. Eyes narrowed, she put her hands on her hips. Flustered, Kyouko claimed that she only liked the song.

"Mad-man, 'Don't go home'…" Another girl's suggestion had her friends whistling and calling out raucous suggestions.

"We should ask Sousuke," Ren said kindly. "After all, he is the one who's going to dance…"

"Or something," Kaname said, scowling. Those girls were showing way too much enthusiasm. No. She wasn't jealous in any way. It was her civic pride speaking up. She didn't want to wake the neighbors again. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"Let me see," Sousuke said. The girls had dragged him into Kaname's room, tossed all manner of clothing out of her closet, and gone to work. He had an oversized sweatshirt over his own clothes, and on top of that he wore a fuzzy bathrobe with a long sash. The girls had placed a pair of old slip-over boots on his feet, more for the sake of his routine than for any kind of fashion statement. "Yes. That title will suffice. 'Ambush'."

The girls accepted that choice. But, they insisted that they hear the other songs as well. As Umpire, Maya magnanimously revoked the time limit for the special occasion. Sousuke's protests were drowned out by a room full of sleep-deprived and determined girls.

"OK, let's get this thing started," Maya said. She waved the halisen, getting a number of girls to start pointing flashlights at Sousuke as impromptu spotlights. The partygoers all began clapping their hands. Kaname hid her face in her hands, but peeked out from between her fingers.

When Sousuke finally began moving, he was at a loss. What should he do? Kurz Weber and other members of the TDD-1s crew had shanghaied him in the past, kidnapping him and taking him to strip joints. But, he had been too discombobulated at the sights he saw to remember anything from those days. _Wait! _If he had to move, why not use movements that he was familiar with.

"I am new at this," Sousuke said. "You will need to direct me." His initial actions looked more like calisthenics than anything else. There was a reason for that. He was warming up. There was no reason to suffer any kind of injury. That would be embarrassing. "I am at your command." That was not the wisest statement.

The girls called out suggestions. That had Sousuke kicking off his boots. One knocked over Kaname's favorite lamp. The other landed in the fish tank, next to Kyouko's camera. After that, he began spinning the sash. His honor dictated that he do this, so he complied. But, as calm as he looked, deep inside him, he was storing up a hurt load of anger and resentment. The next enemy he faced on the battlefield would have a very bad day. In fact, any enemy in the future might be in for the fight of his or her life, if the young soldier brought up these memories.

"In feudal times in Japan, there were various military arts and exercises which the samurai classes were trained and fitted for their special form of warfare," Sousuke said, beginning to go through some rudimentary movements. "Amongst these was the art of jujutsu, from which the present judo has sprung up." The fluidity of his routine had a number of girls just staring, the money falling from their fingers. "Some of the principles will help me now. Not to resist, but to gain victory by pliancy. Keeping the mind composed and calm. Not to be disturbed by things. Remaining tranquil. Following the rules for respiration."

"He's talking too much again," one girl groused.

"Who cares!"Another girl had her hands clasped to her chest.

"_Geeez…" _Kaname just shook her head.

"The most important principle of throwing was to disturb the center of gravity of the opponent, and then pull or push in a way that the opponent cannot stand, exerting skill rather than strength, so that he might lose his equilibrium and fall heavily to the ground." Sousuke moved swiftly, took hold of one standing girl, and demonstrated one of the moves. "A series of rules was taught respecting the different motions of feet, legs, arms, hands, the thigh and back, in order to accomplish this object. Choking up the throat was done by the hands, forearms, or by twisting the collar of the opponent's coat round the throat." Another young woman found herself part of the show. After that, most of the girls backed away, not wanting to be next. A few fought for space near the makeshift dance floor. "For holding down and pushing, any part of the body was used. For twisting and bending, the parts employed were generally the arms, hands and fingers, and sometimes the legs."

"He's surprisingly enthusiastic," Ren remarked.

"Yes," Ryo said, coughing. She ducked when the bathrobe came flying in her direction.

"Only because he's going otaku," Kaname said, frowning.

"I wonder if he'd jump out of a cake at my birthday," one girl mused.

"With the rise of the warrior class in the late twelfth century, the bushi or samurai trained in such disciplines as knouts, sword art…iaijutsu, sword-drawing art…kyujutsu, Japanese archery…sojutsu, spear art… bajutsu, horsemanship… suijutsu, swimming… and this, jujutsu, unarmed combat." Gasping, Sousuke had to pry one half-drunken girl off of him. "These gradually became standardized into styles or schools, which continued even after the country's feudal domains were pacified during the Edo period."

"**NO MORE EDO!"**

"I apologize," Sousuke said, thinking that he would have been better off if he stayed at his books, instead of making that fateful trip to his apartment building roof. "I will seek my inspiration elsewhere." At one girl's direction, he peeled off the sweat shirt and tossed it to her. Thinking what to do next, his inspiration came from an unexpected source: Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin.

"Do the bump and grind!"One girl shouted, flushed with excitement. Come morning, she would deny having shown even a modicum of interest.

The flashlights were being moved around the room in trance-inducing patterns. One of the other girls was using something in front of one of the remaining lamps, causing a strobe-like effect. Sousuke's shadow seemed to have a life of its own. A few girls got up to dance again, but were shouted down by the others.

"Work for it, honey!"Another girl held up her hand. She spread paper money out like a fan.

Kaname slapped herself in the forehead. This was unbelievable. Her apartment had turned into a dance club. Sousuke Sagara, poster boy for naivety, was the dancer. Frowning, she looked down. She was tapping her foot.

"The Russian style of martial art dates back to the tenth century," Sousuke said, performing a few simple moves. "Throughout history, the country had to repel invaders from the north, south, east, and west. All attackers brought their distinct styles of combat and weaponry. The battles took place on different terrain, during freezing winters and sweltering summer heat alike, with the Russians often greatly outnumbered by the enemy forces." A handful of coins came his way. He left the girls speechless, catching each one of them before they hit the ground. " As a result of these factors, the Russian warriors acquired a style that combined strong spirit with extremely innovative and versatile tactics that were at the same time practical, deadly, and effective against any type of enemy under any circumstances." He swallowed hard when a number of girls ran up and stuffed money down his shirt.

"He'll be able to buy fresh rolls all week," Maya remarked.

"All month," Ryo said, looking down at the money she had in hand. She couldn't bring herself to join in.

"Here Kyouko," Mizuki said. She handed her purse to her friend, smiling when her glasses fogged up.

"The style was natural and free, having no strict rules, rigid structure or limitations. All tactics were based on instinctive reactions, individual strengths, and characteristics, specifically designed for fast learning." Sousuke imitated the hip movements that one girl showed him. A number of young ladies keeled over. For that fleeting instant, it was as if Elvis had been reborn. "When the Communists came to power, they suppressed all national traditions. Those practicing the centuries-old style of martial art were severely punished. However, the authorities quickly realized the viability and potency of the Russian martial art and thus reserved it for the elite units of Spetsnaz." A few pumping motions left one girl speaking gibberish.

"I think he found his career," one girl said.

"Oh yeh," her friend added.

Sousuke stopped. _"Really?" _He looked puzzled. This was the furthest thing from what he would want to do for a living. But, insight came in different shapes, sizes, and colors. One never knew where or when a significant truth might be learned.

"No, you imbecile!" Kaname flinched after shouting. "Do you want to do this at the next birthday celebration for Dana?" She could mention that name without giving anything away. That left her pierced by her own dart. She couldn't help but picture a half-naked Sousuke dancing in front of Tessa.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke stepped wrong, bending his ankle. He fell, catching himself on Kaname. "Thank you, Kaname. You broke my fall." He didn't realize that his hand was on her buttock. She did, as did everyone else.

"**_P-P-PERVERT!"_**

A number of girls started tossing things at Sousuke's feet, seeing if they could get him to trip again. He was far too agile. Once again, his martial arts based routines began whipping some of the girls into a frenzy. One girl looked on somewhat sadly, however. That was Kyouko. What she wouldn't give to have her camera at that moment. But, sometimes wishes come true. One of the other girls handed her a disposable camera, telling her too leave the flash off.

"Take the shirt off!"That was Maya. She immediately opened the halisen and hid her face. What had gotten into her?

"Since the collapse of the Soviet system, many other Russian fighting styles have re-emerged through training, competition, and media publicity. Among others, the styles include Sambo, Slaviano-Goretskaya Borba, the military style of Kadochnikov, plus a variety of folk styles such as Busa, Skobar, Forest Warrior, Kozachiy Sploch, and Gruntovsky fist fighting." Sousuke made a number of punches, snapping his fists out to within inches of one girl's nose. She didn't duck, stumble back, or make any kind of exclamation. Instead, she reached out, pulled at the rim of Sousuke's trousers, and put in some money.

Kaname began sputtering, clenching her fists. She turned bright read when a number of her friends walked up and handed her a few fistfuls of paper currency.

"It's our treat," Ryo said.

"You deserve it," Mizuki said. "This is a great party."

"Go for it," Maya said. "You want to, right?"

_**Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…**_

"What?" Kaname felt her heart beginning to race again. That was ridiculous. Why was she reacting like that? "That's… it's… why…"

"Systema is a complete set of concepts and training components that enhance one's life. In this case, acquiring the martial art skill is a way to improve the function of all one's physiological systems of the body." Sousuke caught a bra, wondering where that had come from. "As my com-… as a friend once told me, training in Russian Martial Art is a good way to see the full extent of our limitations, and to find out just how proud and weak we really are." Because he was speaking about something he had been taught, and was moving in ways that were familiar, Sousuke was not nearly as nervous as he otherwise would be. The suggestions the girls called out were challenges, things he tried to fit within the framework of techniques he was comfortable with. This would serve as a good physical workout session.

_**Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…**_

Kaname swallowed hard. Her friends were crowding her, pushing her forward, laughing and teasing her. When she saw the bra flying through the air, she stumbled. Things were getting a little out of hand. She was learning things about her friends that she never knew before. Watching Sousuke's graceful and potentially dangerous movements, she bit her lips. The buzzed feeling she felt was not from the punch. She might very well learn things about herself, too.

The other girls clustered together and pointed at Kaname. They began whispering, trying to be heard above the music. Was she going to do it? Would she do what the wilder and less inhibited girls had done?

"Come on Kaname!"One girl called out.

"No stopping now, girl." Another girl said. "You're the Class Rep. You have to show us how it's done."

"Here," a different girl said, handing a folded wad of money to Kaname. "When you stick it in, see if you can make change for me."

_**Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…**_

The room seemed to contract. The moving lights had Kaname feeling dizzy. She was acutely aware of the seat on her palms, wiping her hands on her pajama pants. The girls lining the room all looked like phantoms, only partially registering on her senses. Sousuke filled her view, like something out of an exotic dream. He was moving in ways she had never seen before, the moisture making his body look like it had been oiled. She closed her eyes. It was only Sousuke. It was just some otaku jerk who got conned into putting on a burlesque show by some drunken girls.

"Spetsnaz… or Voiska Spetsialnogo Naznachenia… refers to the Russian Special Forces. Within this highly acclaimed military organization, there are a few Special Operations Units that are used in the highest risk missions." Sousuke said. "The soldiers that made up these units went through extremely intense training in all three levels of human capacities: the physical, the psychological, and the psychic. They became true masters of the traditional style of fighting, using during covert military operations and body-guarding of top government and military personnel." His next instinctive move would have done a professional dancer proud.

"Spank me!"One girl cried out. She threw her money up in the air. Another girl fought to hold her back.

_**Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…**_

Kaname shook her head. She moved Maya's and Ryo's hands off of her. There was no way that she could go through with this. Not only was it demeaning to Sousuke, it wasn't who she really was, right? How could she look at Sousuke's face in school, knowing that she took part in something like this? It was wrong, wasn't it? She twitched, imaging him standing before Cmdr. Mardukas, explaining everything that he had done.

The image of the stone-faced naval officer had vanished. It was followed by images of Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao holding up 'V' signs. That didn't catch her off guard. It was the image of Sousuke reporting to a certain platinum-haired girl that distracted her. 'Captain, my torpedo was functioning properly'. "Ohhh…" She tripped an fell over one prone girl. "Owww… _sorry_…."

"Kaname, are you alright?" Sousuke made a number of movements in her direction as he danced. He wondered why her face turned red like that. No doubt it was the alcohol she had consumed. "As I was saying, there are numerous possible punches, kicks, chokes and holds, wrestling moves, and grappling techniques." He demonstrated by grabbing one girl from behind, almost slipping when she collapsed back against him. "They are all useful in ground work, street fighting, and defense against multiple opponents, especially in situations that place emphasis on continuous attack, economy of motion, and unpredictable moves." After a flourish of bumps and grinds, he gently tossed a number of girls on top of their sleeping bags.

"I think I've gone blind…" One girl came close to swooning.

"Come on, Chidori!" One of the girls pointed at Sousuke. "This is your party. You're the one who always takes the lead. You're not afraid, _are_ you?"

"_Hmmmm-mmm-mm-m_…" All of the other girls looked at Kaname.

"Of course not!" Kaname put her hands on her hips and tossed her hair. Once again, her pride took over without her permission. "Why would I be afraid. It's no big deal!"

"Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…"

The chanting grew louder and louder as more girls joined in. Soon, they were all clapping their hands or stomping their feet. The flashlights were turned on her.

"The most dangerous scenario that one might face is a confrontation with multiple attackers. There are times when you can't escape and have to fight for your life and for those you love!" Sousuke merely repeated the same words he had once been told. But, the mention of fighting for love had some of the girls squealing. They wondered how they had once thought Sousuke to be nothing but a weird, paranoid, violence prone loser. "This topic, seldom covered by trainers in other martial arts, teaches one the psychological control and physical preparation for escaping from multiple holds, strikes, and kicks, coming from up to six attackers at the same time!" He literally swept a half dozen girls off of their feet. They didn't seem to mind. "It utilizes every part of the body to protect, distract, and counterbalance, while the fighter can use his opponents against one another and hit multiple targets with one strike."

"Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…"

The other girls stepped back away from Sousuke' leaving only him and Kaname standing in the middle of the floor.

**THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…**

Kaname took a tentative step forward, cursing her timidity. All she had to do was march up, put some money down that martial moron's pants, and run to the bathroom to wash her hand. What was so difficult about that? If she just blanked her mind, much the way she did as a child when forced to eat disgusting food, she could get through it. It was a task, nothing more. It was all about saving face.

"Take off the pants!"One girl shouted. She had helped select things for Sousuke to put on. She had suggested that he put the leotard on again, underneath his trousers. The other girls thought that Sousuke was still naked underneath.

"I will do what I must, to safeguard my honor." Sousuke began working at his fly. One girl had to be giving the Heimlich maneuver after swallowing an ice cube.

"Sousuke… what are you doing… stop…" Kaname froze. That big idiot wasn't going to dance in the nude, _was_ he? They hadn't ring some of her clothing to make a thong, had they? She couldn't get any more words out. A feeling of relief rushed through her, just as a sense of disappointment wracked some of the other girls. When the pants were peeled off, there was a leotard. She didn't know whether to burn the thing or frame it when Sousuke was finished.

"Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…"

**THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…**

Kaname thought that her heart was going to jump out of her chest. That's it! Enough! She survived Junior High. She was Class Representative and Student Vice President. She was captain of the softball team. She helped Sousuke and Kurz escape from certain death. She, Tessa, and Dane helped Sousuke save that submarine.

This… was… no… big… deal…

Closer and closer. Nearer and Nearer. Fighting the urge to whistle like nothing was going on, Kaname stretched out her free hand towards Sousuke's dancing form, clutching the money in her other sweaty hand. Just a few more inches.

Sousuke began to speak, intending the question for Kaname alone. Unfortunately, the last song programmed into the CD player ended as he began. "Kaname, you are not intending to grope me again, _are_ you?"

Those words, relatively quiet as they were, froze in the air. For everyone standing there, it seemed as if they could reach out and touch anyone of them, if they so chose. All except the word 'grope', which they imagined to be pulsating and red hot.

The money fell from Kaname's limp hand. She couldn't hear her heartbeat anymore. For all she knew, her heart may have stopped beating.

"_Oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o…"_

"Kaname…Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname…"

"But…" Kaname shook her head. "It's not…" She turned a pleading look on each of her friends. "I never meant…" Raising her voice she said "It was just an accident!"

"Sure," Maya said. "We all know that. What could happen with you two?" She winked at Ryo in exaggerated fashion.

"That's right," Ryo said. "We're just joshing with you." She made an 'OK' sign to Mizuki.

"Uh huh," Mizuke said. "Pretty girl. Handsome guy. A little alcohol. Even less clothes. A secluded balcony." She tried to look angelic. "Nothing ever happened like that."

"I… it… that's… but…" Kaname began getting angry again_. "Sousuke!"_

"Yes, Kaname?" Sousuke asked, realizing just what his words had sounded like.

"Telllll themmmm…" Kaname didn't want a single girl to walk away thinking the wrong thing.

"Uhhh… if you insist, Kaname." Sousuke made a face, and changed his stance. He reached in and moved his hands around a bit, causing some girls to blush or look away. Finding the money that was rubbing him the wrong way, he removed it. "You shouted 'Baka' and pushed me, causing me to stumble backward, trip, and fall between two girls. My hands contacted areas on the female body that are best left untouched without permission, causing you to shout even louder and say you hated me..."

"I just want you to…" Kaname couldn't get her words in. She just wanted him to tell the others that everything had been unintentional.

"…I gathered up my belongs, went outside, disrobed, and threw the pajamas into the apartment…" Sousuke was so used to the situation now, that he no longer felt mortified standing in the middle of a room of girls wearing nothing but a leotard.

"That's more than they need to hear you big stupid head. I only need you to…" Kaname was unsuccessful again. If she shouted to loudly, or physically tried to stop him, the girls would assume she was trying to cover something up.

"…Just as I started to get dressed in my own apparel, Kaname bumped into me, accidentally placing her hand on…" Sousuke cringed when Kaname shouted directly into his ear.

"**_S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!"_**

Kaname's shout had everyone staring at her. She looked over at Sousuke, a mask of resignation on her face. Suddenly, she didn't care that a fair number of her friends were there, watching them. She took a few steps, sighed, and placed her head against the wall. "The only thing you needed to say was 'it was an accident'. I don't know why I always get my hopes up, thinking you can somehow make things better, when you usually make things worse." She couldn't help herself. She was on the verge of tears. "I keep expecting that you'll learn from your mistakes. Anyone else would. But not you. I can't take this. My life is hard enough as it is." Trying to maintain some shred of dignity, she walked off into her room. This was not over-reacting. It was the sum of many prior events.

Things were quiet for a moment. Then, everyone started talking. Maya looked over at Sousuke. "You should go apologize to her."

"But, I did nothing wrong." Sousuke claimed. "She asked me to explain things. As none of you were there, I wished to provide sufficient background. Nothing I said was meant to harm her."

"You need to say you're sorry, Sousuke." Ryo looked very serious, the frivolity and fun forgotten for a moment. "Not just for upsetting her a number of times tonight, but also for all those things you do in school. They're really hard on her."

"But I always do my best to… it's never my intention to cause…" Sousuke swallowed hard as the girls all began closing in on him. "I'm just not used to…"

"I understand," Ren said, placing her hand on Sousuke's arm. "I think Kaname does, too. That's not enough, however." The other girls all nodded. "It's not about thinking things through, or being strong enough to put up with things. School's hard enough in this country, with all of the expectations everyone has. There's not one of us here tonight who needs things to be any more difficult…"

"I see." Sousuke lowered his eyes. In his language, they were telling him that he was only partially successful in his mission. It was like securing the objective, but losing all his squad mates. King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at Heraclea and Asculum in 279 BC, but suffered severe and irreplaceable casualties in the process, going on to eventually lose the Pyrrhic War. Hence, the term 'Pyrrhic victory' refers to a victory which is won at too great a cost for the victor.

Military history was filled with examples of similar events. That did not make Sousuke feel any better at that moment, since he knew that those who did not learn from history were doomed to repeat it.

"Just go over to her door and tell her you're sorry, Sousuke." Kyouko took Sousuke's hand and pulled him in that direction. "Don't promise anything you can't do."

Sousuke went over to knock on Kaname's door, which was only half open. The room itself was completely dark.

"Kaname…" Sousuke listened. There was no noise. "Kaname…" He listened again, but heard no answer or any sign of movement. "Kaname… I'm sorry…" He placed his head up against the door, causing it to move inward. It stopped.

Kaname had gotten up from her bead and walked over to the door. Her forehead was resting on the side opposite from Sousuke's. He could make out her breathing. But, she still didn't answer.

"The others said that I should apologize." Sousuke clenched his teeth. That time he was well aware of his own verbal butchery. "I am truly sorry for causing you to be unhappy, even if I am too stupid to realize when I am doing it." He didn't pay any attention to the partygoers clustered all around him. "I will be leaving now… for as long as necessary…"

"You're not stupid, Sousuke." Kaname's voice was very quiet. "No, you _are_ stupid. But, so am I…" The door stayed as it was, caught between the two of them. "You make mistakes you shouldn't, and I get more upset than I should. We've both had it hard in the past, Sousuke. And we each face a lot of hard things now. Just keep doing your best."

The girls were herded back to where they had been by Ren. Sousuke followed when Kaname didn't say anything else.

"Sousuke," Kaname said. "Who would you have named, if you answered the question about the wine?" She felt very tense, wondering what made her ask that right then. "I'll keep it secret…" More than anything, she hoped that he would not mention any other girl's name.

The door swung closed when she put more of her weight on it. Sousuke had already left.


	7. Chapter 7

Things had become a great deal more sedate.

Most of the girls had been touched by Kaname's earlier reaction, even though they had no idea what might have brought it on.

Sure, Sousuke could behave like a maniac sometimes.So could a lot of boys, just not on the same scale. And, at the party, he had made a number of absentminded and innocent comments that set her off. To the young ladies musing over such matters those fumbles hadn't seemed so bad.

Was it because the two of them seemed to spend a lot of time together? Was it because Sousuke always seemed to be hovering somewhere nearby, wherever Kaname went? Just what was going on between those two? It certainly didn't seem like a romantic relationship, not even one where the boy and girl tried their best to keep things hidden.

Everyone had been moved by Sousuke's performance, too. Not just in his Chippendale's routine, or the other embarrassing things he had done. When he wasn't busy putting his foot in his mouth… spouting something about Japanese History or military doctrine… or accidentally fondling someone… he was pleasant enough company. They all had little trouble imagining what other boys might have done, had they been there instead.

As a result, Sousuke and Kaname were unofficially declared an endangered species. They had both been pushed further than any animal should be, and would be given a chance to take a step back from the edge of extinction. While the Truths and Darse could be brutal for the others, those two would have it easy for a while.

-

_Together we searched for a place to hide _

_As we ran in the rain_

_- _

_Even if I loose something _

_There's one thing I must protect_

_- _

_That's the meaning of my birth in this world I'll go search with you even if it maybe painful _

_While clinging onto the fresh scenery around us_

_- _

Sousuke sat listening to the lyrics of the song playing on the radio. Usually, he paid little attention to music, with the exception of bagpipes, military marches, and national anthems. Now, he single-mindedly sought something to occupy his attention. Listening to the girls ask their questions, and watching them act out their challenges, could only go so far in that regard. He didn't want to sit and dwell on the incident with Kaname. It left him feeling uncomfortable. It never did a soldier any good to think too much.

He really didn't know the meaning of life, or why he had been born into this world. The time he had spent in Tokyo had certainly brought new experiences, and had left him even more perplexed than he might normally be. The idea of searching with someone else seemed to strike a chord; but, it was a chord that was best left unstuck. In his line of work, he rarely had much time to spend with someone outside of Mithril.

For now, it was not about what he lost, or what he might find. It was about protecting someone. He would continue to do that, as best he could. It was foolish to look any further than that.

-

_The prism reflected the orange of _

_The sunset when the breeze slips through my fingertips_

_- _

_I wish I could devote myself to you so _

_I want to become more gentle for you_

_- _

Kaname kept looking over at Sousuke. She did it in a manner intended to make it seem as if she wasn't looking. Sousuke hadn't caught on, but her friends might have. Every time she'd peek at him out of the corner of her eye, she'd realize that Maya, Ryo, Mizuki, Kyouko, or Ren had been watching her. If not one of them, then one of the others. They must be worried about her.

Still, it was an itch she had to scratch. It was all too easy, sayingit wouldn't matter if he mentioned some other girl's name. Easy, but untrue. It would matter to _her._ She thought back to the time that Sousuke had missed a study session with her, after she had gone to a lot of trouble cooking up a meal for the two of them. The next say in class, she had been rude, because he had given her jewelry in order to keep her safe, not to try and win her heart. She had lowered the boom pretty hard on the way home, even though that jewelry allowed him to rescue her later. When she went to make amends, the big jerk had been acting mighty peculiar. That's when she had seen Teletha Testarossa for the first time.

A lot of denial had gone into covering the reason for her anger and disappointment, seeing a towel-wrapped girl at his apartment. She had also worked hard to convince herself she didn't care when Tessa ordered Sousuke to turn off the listening devices on Arbalest, saying that she may have fallen in love with a certain sergeant.

Little Miss Captain seemed to think that they were in some kind of competition or something. They weren't. Even if they _were,_ she was not about to loose to someone like _her._ She still remembered Tessa's ploy, whenthe other Whispered implied that she had some kind of relationship with Sousuke.

If they ever _was_ a contest for a certain soldier's affection, Tessa would be at a major disadvantage, since she was Mr.-Stickler-For-The-Rule's commanding officer. But, if _that_ were somehow erased, the smaller girl would be in the catbird seat, since she always seemed to treat Sousuke with a great deal of kindness and compassion. It certainly wouldn't hurt to become 'more gentle' herself. It just wouldn't be for that reason!

Oops. She had missed a bit of the game. That would never do.

"If you had a tattoo, what would it be and where would you want it?" Ryo asked the question of one of the other girls. After she answered, her friends all spoke up to say how cool it would be to get a tattoo some day.

"The term _irebokuro_, meaning tattoo, was used in the Edo period, or so it is written in our textbook." Sousuke had found another way to distract himself. "As you know, 'ire' or 'ireru' means to insert, and 'bokuro' or 'hokuro' is a beauty spot. However, in the early Edo period, the tattoo was like a dot, not pictorial. They originated among the _yujos_, or legal prostitutes, and were rare among ordinary girls like yourself."

"**NO E-…"**

The girls all shook their heads and closed their mouths. They sighed. No one could shout at Sousuke for a while.

"S-…" Kaname closed her eyes and let out a deep long breath. She counted backwards from twenty five. She could do this.

After a few girls were brave enough to try Dares, Kyouko asked the next Truth. "If you were an animal, what kind would you be?" After the girl answered, everyone else joined in. At one point, they began using the animals of the Chinese Zodiac as a guide.

"Sousuke's probably a dog!" Mizuki smiled. She could imagine him with a collar on, being dragged at the end of a leash by Kaname. When he was bad, she would swat him on the nose with her paper fan. And, everywhere he went, he seemed to leave a mess.

"Dogs are supposed to be honest, quiet, intelligent, generous, stubborn, loyal and faithful to those they love," one girl said.

"Well, I guess he _is_ loyal and faithful," another girl remarked. "Stubborn, too."

"Three out of seven isn't too bad," Ryo said, getting everyone to laugh. "Though, I have to say he's honest too. He's just not the type that would _ever_ be able to keep something hidden. You see how he blurts out everything."

Kaname and Sousuke looked at one another automatically, and then quickly looked away.

"That's right!" One girl said. "What's more, Dogs are supposed to be introverted listeners, prone to letting their external anxieties get the better of them."

"Yup. Sounds like Sousuke." Maya nodded her head. "But Dogs are also supposed to have a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault-finder." She and the other girls all turned to stare at Kaname.

"_Hmmmpppfff!"_ Kaname turned up her nose and scowled.

"Dogs will make excellent businessmen, activists, teachers, or secret agents," a girl noted. "He better never be a teacher. He would blow up any business he worked for. Maybe he could be an activist, since he gets so obsessed with things. Secret agent? _Sheeeesh._ Who thinks up these crazy things?"

Sousuke looked down at his feet.

"Tigers and Horses are the best matches for a Dog," Ren said sweetly. "Dragons need to be handled with care." That had some of the girls who had named themselves Tigers and Horses either patting each other on the back, or putting their fingers in their mouths and pretending to gag.

"What do you want to bet that Kaname has the features of a Dragon?" Mizuki's eyes sparkled. "Other than breathing fire, I mean…"

"Ha ha ha." Kaname tried to ignore Mizuki's lopsided grin.

"Dragons are bossy, loud, stubborn, and garish," one girl said, smiling. "Now, does _that _sound like Kaname?"

"**_Y-E-S-!"_** All of the girls answered at the same time.

"Fine bunch of friends I have," Kaname said. She smiled just the same. For some reason, she wanted to put Sousuke on the spot. "Am I loud… bossy… stubborn… or garrish…"

"You are not garrish," Sousuke said. He did not want to lie. But, he had done better that time. Usually, he would simply had answered 'yes'. No, he would have answered 'yes', and then gone into painstaking detail.

Kaname made another face, but then smiled again.

"Dragons are also intelligent and gifted, not to mention full of vitality and enthusiasm," Ryo said. "That sounds like Kaname, too." Eager to make Kaname feel better, the other girls all nodded or added their agreement.

"Intolerant, too," a girl mentioned.

"Bingo," Ryo said. _"Right_, Sousuke?"

"They're also unfaithful." Mizuki smirked. "Everything they see that they want, they go after."

Sousuke looked up. Mizuki's statement bothered him for some reason. "Is this true? Dragons will be unfaithful?" He looked over at Kaname.

"Of _course_ not," Kaname answered quickly. "I would never…" Now where had _that _come from? Why had Sousuke asked? And, why had she been so quick to answer? She blushed, as her friends began chuckling. "This is all nonsense, Sousuke. Just like horoscopes." She wondered why Sousuke looked somewhat relieved. "Besides, the animals in the Chinese Zodiac are based on the time and date of birth,_ not_ a person's personality." He couldn't be consciously thinking about her in a certain way, could he? No. That would be too big of a change. What about _sub-_consciously?

"Understood," Sousuke said. "Sun Tzu also spoke out against horoscopes." He ignored the look that a number of girls gave him. They were big fans of astrology and love compatibility. The were not fond of anything otaku. "In his words, the superstitious were bound in to saucy doubts and fears; would degenerate into cowards; and were destined to die many times before their deaths. Spells and incantations were strictly forbidden, and no officer was allowed to inquire by divination into the fortunes of an army, for fear the soldiers' minds should be seriously perturbed."

"I bet that Sun Tzu never had a date, _either."_ One of the horoscope aficionados quipped.

"**Totally!"** Her friend said.

"_Somebody_ certainly sounds perturbed," Kaname said, with a toss of her hair. She didn't like the comment the one girl had made. Sure, other than the date manufactured by Mizuki, Sousuke had never been on a real date since she had known him. But, that didn't mean he was a total loser or something. After all, a number of girls had left him love notes, leading to the destruction of multiple lockers. Furthermore, in the right circumstances, she'd like very much to go out with him. No. That wasn't what she meant. Not really. _Right?_

"Girls," one young lady said. "How about we get back to the game?" She was serving as the Umpire for this round.

-

_Even if there are days when the tears roll down my cheeks _

_I want to have you back all for myself_

_- _

_But use kindness is also cruel sometimes _

_I lose sight of the answer the more I search for it_

_- _

_If you can see the rainbow in the town after the rain _

_Let's start walking now, something is about to begin_

_-_

The words to that song had Kaname zoning out for a few moments. There was a spirit of hope in the lyrics, and that drew in like a moth to a flame. Soon enough, she sighed and shook her head. She was Whispered. The Whispered were a commodity. They weren't about to go out of style any time soon. That would be the case no matter where she was, what she did, and who she spent time near. Would there be some kind of rainbow waiting for her, after the rain was done?

"Earth to Kaname," Kyouko said. "Are you daydreaming again?" She wrinkled her nose. "Thinking about someone we know?"

"_What?"_ Kaname tensed up. Of course not, Ky. What makes you think that?"

"It was your turn to answer 'Truth' or 'Dare'," the Umpire said. "We asked you twice already."

"Oh… I… it must be because I'm almost falling asleep," Kaname said, yawning for effect. "What was the 'Truth'?"

"'Who is the most important person in your world?" Mizuki repeated the question.

"It's…" Kaname lowered her eyes a moment, after glancing briefly at Sousuke. This was not such an easy question. Family meant everything to her, even though she was half a world away from the people she loved the most. But, there was someone else who was very important, even more important than her friends. That was Sousuke. He was protecting her in a way that no one else could. Maybe there was another reason he was important too. "It's my father," she said. It was the right answer. Still, in a way, she felt a bit like a traitor.

-

_Because I have you, because I have tomorrow _

_Because I can't live on all alone _

_I feel you so close by me, I guess that's love _

_- _

_Because you know how much pain tears can bring _

_I want to find a smile in your transparent eyes _

_As I search for a definite meaning in them_

_- _

_Although it'd be good if these feelings found their way into your heart_

_Without me needing to speak a word_

_- _

Sousuke pondered those words, realizing that songs were more than entertainment. It seems thattheyare alsoa way to share common feelings, and to touch upon every day issues that mattered to those who listened. Why hadn't he seen that before? Perhaps because it didn't really have much meaning for someone like him. He was not a normal person. He did not have a normal life. He may never have one.

Who did he have? No one. What was waiting for him tomorrow? Perhaps a bullet or an Anti-armor blade. Would he be destined to live alone? Maybe. In the past, he had accepted that. He had taken it for granted. Why then, did the song have him feeling sad?

He looked over at Kaname. When she had been asked her question, he wondered what she might answer. Why? The answer wouldn't make him a better soldier. It wouldn't make his job any easier.

"_Sou-u-u-u-u-u-s_-kay…" The Umpire banged a number of glasses together for a few moments. To Sousuke, the sound was eerily familiar. "Sousuke, come out and play." Yes, the sounds and those words reminded him of a classic scene at the end of the movie 'The Warriors'. Surviving a game of Truth and Dare with these girls was no less an accomplisment than the gang's making it back to Coney Island alive.

"I apologize. It appears that I _too_ am tired." Sousuke stood up. "Perhaps a quick set of exercises will help improve my attention." He began doing calisthenics, leaving most of the girls shaking their heads. Instead of grimacing or making a snide remark, Kaname hid a smile behind her hand. "You do not need to wait until I am finished…"

"I asked the 'Truth'," Ren said. "I wanted to know how you would score the contestants, if you were given the task of judging a beauty contest."

"I see," Sousuke said, building up sweat for a different reason this time. "I presume you are speaking humans, and not military equipment." He was actually quite pleased with himself, coming up with an insight like that. "Female humans, to be precise."

"_Girls,"_ Kaname said, her irritation breaking through her new resolve.

"I know the proper terminology for female human beings, Kaname." Sousuke said.

"Oooo-ooo-oo-o…" Kaname bit her lip. Feeling everyone's gaze on her, she reigned in her temper.

"I was forced to watch a beauty contest once," Sousuke said, rubbing his chin, trying to remember the details. Kurz had told him it would be educational. Then again, that was the same explanation he used for girlie magazines, strip clubs, and female mud wrestling. "If I recall correctly, areas that factored into the decision making process of the Specialists… no, _not_ the Specialists… the judges… included the way that they spoke; the manner in which they carried themselves; some form of talent; and their appearance in forms of clothing similar to that which the other girls wore."

"And…" Ren prompted Sousuke.

"I would place high importance on loyalty, physical stamina, and good leadership abilities," Sousuke said, selecting his own criteria.

Kaname nodded, thinking that _she_ was loyal, athletic, and a student leader.

"That's boring," one girl said. "And that's _not_ the way a guy would think." She shook her finger at Sousuke. "Come on, tell us what you _reeeeeeeally_ like." That had a number of her friends whispering to one another. As if by unanimous decree, it was okay to put Sousuke on the spot again.

"_Like?"_ Sousuke ran his hand through his hair.

"You know," Maya said, making an hourglass shape in the air with her two hands.

"Sign language?" Sousuke asked, puzzled. "Some form of nonverbal communication." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Something on the order of semiphores?"

"I don't think I want to know what _that_ is," Ryo said, frowning.

"It _does_ sound kind of dirty, though." One girl licked her lips, before being elbowed by her friends.

"Semiphores refers to a visual system for sending information by means of two flags that are held one in each hand." Sousuke said helpfully.

"I _knew_ I didn't want to know." Ryo remarked.

"Why do I even bother…" Kaname muttered under her breath, hanging her head.

"This is an hourglass shape," Maya said, repeating her gesture.. "You know, as in 'hourglass figure'." She closed her eyes for a moment, seeing a total lack of recognition in Sousuke's eyes. This was the same guy that had almost reduced a number of girls to babbling idiots not long ago? It boggled the imagination!

"A girl's figure," Mizuki said, an exasperated tone in her voice.

"T & A," another girl said.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke narrowed his eyes. _"Hmmm…"_ T and A. He could think of a number of meanings.

'Ta'. An abbreviation for the element tantalum. A tantalum carbide graphite composite was one of the strongest substances known, and played a major structural role in Arbalest's fusion reactor. 'T & A'. Tracking and Analysis. That was a term used onboard the TDD-1. It could also stand for Tardiness & Absenteeism, something that occasionally left him standing in the hallway outside of homeroom, a water-filled bucket in each hand. 'TA'. Teaching assistant. Tactical Airlift. Target Acquisition. Tamper Alarm. Terminal Adaptor, as in the interface card in the ARX-7's communications equipment. But, like the other possibilities, that did not make much sense, in the context of a girl's figure.

"**TITS AND ASS!"**

"Oh…" Sousuke swallowed hard. He would add that to his list.

"You _do_ look at girls, don't you?" Kyouko tried to look innocent, but there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "There are some pretty girls at our school." She looked over at Kaname. "Tessa was very pretty, too." She couldn't hide her grin when Kaname flinched.

"I… that is…" Sousuke clasped his hands together. At times, he found himself distracted by certain parts of the female anatomy, especially when circumstance placed the women in particular postures. "There have been times when…" Then again, he never seemed to obsess on such things, or make it an unofficial extra subject of study at school, like most of the other boys did. "How do I put this…"

Kaname tugged at her hair, not realizing how hard she was doing it until her eyes watered. What was that big idiot getting all tongue-tied again for? He was a man, _wasn't _he? That kind of thing frustrated her at times. But, to be honest, she was glad that he didn't behave like many of the other guys at school. Part of her might feel relieved, if Sousuke wasn't in the habit of ogling girls, herself included. But, another part might want him to do just that, all other girls excluded. She remembered how good she had felt, wearing that kimono, when he admitted that she was beautiful.

"Who are you trying to fool?" One girl folded her arms over her chest. She was still feeling the effects of Sousuke's dance act. "This innocent routine is just to get girls to feel safe around you, until it's too late."

"That's right," another girl said. "I bet you've been to a lot of those clubs where woman dance naked."

"Affirmative," Sousuke answered. "Quite a few." He wondered why everyone went silent, and then began speaking all at once. "I was brought to them by my comrades, in Beirut, Bangkok, Tel Aviv…" He continued to rattle off a string of cities, only then realizing how many times he had been pulled along by the older males in Mithril and other groups he had fought for.

With each site mentioned, Kaname's eyes grew wider. With each additional club mentioned, her lips grew tighter and thinner.

"… Singapore, Sydney, Phnom Penh…" When Sousuke stopped, he shrugged, blinking when sweat from his exercising ran down into his eyes. "It was a major inconvenience. I did not watch the girls. I had to continually refuse the offers of dancers and sex merchants. I ended up serving as a bodyguard form my drunken companions." He sighed, remembering how many times he and his shipmates had come close to ending up in local jails or prisons.

"You continually refused them…" Maya said, raising one eyebrow. She couldn't see Sousuke doing otherwise, but one shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Naked dancers and sex merchants…" Ryo rubbed her fingers together.

"Oh, Sousuke…" Kyouko dropped her camera, quickly hiding it inside her pajama pants leg.

Kaname stared at Sousuke, not certain what she was feeling. Was it disappointment? Jealousy? Disillusionment? She shouldn't jump to any conclusions. She knew Sousuke pretty well, _didn't_ she? Maybe the true answer to that was 'no'. How well did she know him, really? Was he like a stray dog that someone brings home, uncertain of how it behaved in the past, and at risk from how it might react in the future?

No. She was a pretty good judge of character. No one could act as clueless as Sousuke. That had to be an inborn talent.

"Yes," Sousuke said. "Kaname can attest to my intentions." Sousuke looked over at Kaname, watching her mouth fall open. "She and I were at the C & J Club for a fair amount of time." He wondered why the girls all gasped and looked at one another, and then Kaname. "I behaved very professionally. So did she." The word 'professionally' left room for speculation.

"I wasn't there working…" Kaname waved her hands in front of her, frantically. "No way! I would never do anything like _that_…" She tuned to glare at Sousuke. "We went there at Atsunobu Hayashimizu's request, trying to find out what was going on with some girls from our school." Her features darkened. "We were _not_ supposed to tell anyone about what we found."

"Yes, that is correct." Sousuke stiffened. He had done it again. By all accounts, he was a very quick draw with his pistol. Unfortunately, he was even quicker with his tongue. "I must apologize for breaking confidence." He had a lot of work to do. But, knowing is half the battle.

"I think he's telling the truth," Mizuki said. "Remember the beach? Remember Kaname's new white bikini?"

"And the watermelon!" Ryo grinned.

"Thanks for reminding me," Kaname drawled. She remembered how upset she had been at that time. About the swimsuit. Not the watermelon. Baka!

"I heard that story, but I never believed it." The one girl who had been certain that Sousuke was some sort of player played with the hem of her shirt. "Maybe it's true after all."

Instead of making the girls lose interest in Sousuke, the revelation stirred them up even more. Still feeling the effects of alcohol, some were in a very rambunctious and racy mood.

"So, are you saying that you're not a leg man?" One girl stood up, walked over to the folding chair, and put one foot up on it. Bending over, she slowly rolled up her pajama pants on that leg.

"Uhhh." Sousuke swallowed hard. Try as he may, he couldn't look away. What was this magnetic effect? "I… uhhh…"

"Be careful," Ryo said. "If you see her panties, you'll have to marry her."

"_Truly?"_ Sousuke twitched. That broke the spell.

"**Idiot!"** Kaname wasn't certain if she was angry at the girl, upset at Sousuke's response, or annoyed by his utter naivety.

"How about an ass man," another girl said, feeling somewhat tipsy. She turned around and bent over.

"Ahhh…" Sousuke blinked rapidly. This was even worse. The pull was even stronger. "I…"

Kaname looked at Sousuke… looked at the girl… and looked at Sousuke gain. She clenched her fists. It took every iota of willpower to keep from shouting.

"I bet he's one of those guys who never sees a woman's eyes when he looks above her waist." A third girl began unbuttoning her blouse.

"Uhhh…. Uhhh… Uhhh…" Sousuke quivered every so slightly. He sounded like an LP with the stylus stuck in a groove. Once again, being at this party had helped him start to see beyond his usual horizons.

"_**S-T-O-P T-H-A-T!"**_

Kaname was standing now, hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to be that loud. "Let's not take things too far," she said, trying to seem nonchalant. "Not everyone here feels comfortable with that kind of thing." She turned to give a rather pointed look at the Umpire, who pretended not to notice.

"Especially not Sousuke!" Mizuki smiled. Yes, Sousuke had been very gallant before. But, it was fun seeing him put on the spot like this.

"We'll behave," one girl said, winking to her friends, mouthing the name 'Tessa'. They had picked up on Kyouko's mention of her earlier.

"That's right!" Another girl said. "It's just a game. Nothing to get all worked up over, _right?"_

"Let's try it this way, Sousuke." A third girl stood up and put her hand on her chin. "I remember you being very protective of Tessa when she came to visit." She smiled, looking over at Kaname. "Even more protective than you usually are around Kaname."

"That's just because…" Kaname stopped. She almost blurted out 'she's his commanding officer.'

"_Hmmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m…"_

"So, Sousuke…" Maya stood up. She put her hand on her chin too, trying to look contemplative. "Which would you prefer… a small, pretty petite girl like Tessa…" She winked over at Ryo. "Or a larger chunkier girl like Kaname?"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke furrowed his brow, looking over at Kaname. "Kaname is chunky?" That had Kaname looking for something heavy. "I had not noticed." He nodded his head. "I suppose I prefer chunky, then."

"_Ohhhhhh-hhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…"_

"It… I'm not… sheeeesh…" Kaname didn't look irritated any more. If anything, there was the beginning of a smile on her lips.

"Do you like a girl with a nice small round tush like… hmmm… Tessa's…" Ryo tried to keep a straight face. The look on Sousuke's face was priceless. "Or something larger and more misshapen like… let's see… Kaname's…" The look on Kaname's was even better.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke froze. Some how, his mind was able to conjure up images of Kaname and Tessa and place them side by side. How? He had never purposefully tries to memorize such physical details. Doing so with the Captain might have been reason enough for court martial. "I… it… Kaname's seems to be nice and round _too_… I mean…" He was sweating heavily again. This time it had nothing to do with physical exertion.

"And?" Mizuki rubbed her ands together. Kaname sat down hard. She put a pillow over her lap.

"They are both very…" Sousuke had to cough to clear his throat. When he could speak again, his voice came out in a croak. "Were I forced to choose…" He looked over at the balcony. Perhaps it would be a good time to return home. "I suppose I would select…"

Kaname grasped the pillow firmly, feeling somewhat anxious. It was almost like standing in front of the hallway display board, waiting for the test scores to be posted. This was ridiculous.

"Kaname's," Sousuke said. He checked his pulse. It was racing. "I should qualify my answer. She was merely the example." He coughed again. "It appears that I would prefer larger and well rounded." He couldn't shake the previous image from his head. Was there some way for him to reboot like a computer?

"_Ahhhhhh-hhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…"_

A number of girls gave each other high fives, and then began turning dark pink when they realized what they had done. Kaname felt her face growing warm, too. It felt as if her spirit was lighter than before.

Mizuke returned from a quick sprint to the kitchen. There was a devilish look in her eyes. That had the nearest girls grinning, wondering what she was about to do. "Sousuke…" Mizuke placed an armload of items on the floor in front of her. She blushed and stammered a moment when she realized that by bending over like that she gave Sousuke a good look down her shirt. "Do you prefer nice perky apples… like Tessa…" She held a pair of apples up to her chest.

"Or Mizuki!" One girl shouted. That caused Mizuki to drop the fruit. One fell inside her pajama top, causing everyone to chuckle.

"Or… do you…" Mizuki turned away, wiggled her body, and caught the apple when it rolled out. "Do you prefer muskmelons…" She held up a pair of melons. "…Like…"

"Kaname," A number of girls all called out at once. That had Kaname looking down at her chest, grimacing when she caught herself doing it. It also had Sousuke looking in her direction, causing her to pull the pillow up over her pajama top.

"I prefer apples," Sousuke said automatically, thinking first about fruit, even though the analogy had not escaped him entirely. "Melons are bulkier, require more handling, and provide a less satisfactory snack." He was oblivious to the girls' reaction. He looked at the other fruit sitting near Mizuki. "However, I would judge grapefruit or large oranges to be a better fit. And oranges have... always... been" He ran down, the full impact of his words finally registering on him.

"Your favorite," Maya said, finishing for Sousuke.

"I'm certain that Kaname will be glad that you like her oranges." Ryo couldn't help herself. The opportunity was too great to pass up.

"Do you like fresh squeezed fruit?" One girl asked.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke looked like he had turned to stone.

"**THAT'S IT… THAT'S ENOUGH… THAT'S THE LAST OF IT…"**

"Let's tone things down a bit," Kaname said, after lowering her voice. She looked over at Mizuki. "I'll ask you to leave my fruit out of it." She looked at Sousuke, about to tell him not to even _think_ about squeezing fruit. That caused her to blush again. Some things were better left unsaid.

"You notice how she waited until _after _Sousuke answered?" One girl asked.

"It's just a coincidence," her friend remarked.

Having had their fill of teasing Sousuke for a while, the girls put the game back on track. It was everyone else's turn to be put on the spot, and no one had any reason to cry foul after the things that he had been put through.

"How much weight would you need to lose to feel thin," one girl asked. That was followed by "How much money would it take for you to break up with your boyfriend" and "Would you like to see a law passed, so that it was legal to beat stupid people."

"There has to be a law?" Kaname asked, smiling at Sousuke. She ducked when everyone threw pillows and blankets at her. Her question was followed by "Which of the Ten Commandments would you like to change;" and "If you had a nuclear weapon at home, what would you do with it."

"I would…" Sousuke answered out of turn. He was cut-off by Kaname.

"I don't even want to know!" Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke. "Not… another… word..."

"What five things would you like to bury in a time capsule," Maya asked one of her friends. All of the girls seemed to chime in on that one. Kaname got more than one mention, as did Sousuke. But, Mizuki had them both beat. When she made a face, everyone laughed good-naturedly.

-

_A small flower is blooming inside my heart, _

_The unwithering flower you gave to me, _

_I was able to believe strongly enough in myself, _

_So I'm not afraid anymore..._

_- _

_I was happy meeting you, _

_Even though I could only share my loneliness, _

_Even though we're separated now, _

_I still feel that we're somehow connected under this sky..._

_- _

As she listened to the song, Kaname looked over at Sousuke. A number of the girls were teasing him, trying to get him to eat pieces from an orange they had peeled. It almost did feel like some kind of flower was opening within her. As much as the big goof had disrupted her life, he had also forced her to see and do things that she never would have done otherwise. Some of it had been very hard to deal with; but, she felt more confident in herself now, and was not as afraid as she had once been.

She really _was_ happy, having been able to meet him and get to know him, despite what she might think every other minute, every other day, and every other explosion. But, it was hard to accept the fact that he could be gone before she knew it. Who knows what might happen to him on his next mission? Who could say when Mithril might simply pull him away from Tokyo forever?

What should she do? Did it make any sense, wanting to get closer to him, if he might just disappear some night? Would it be wrong, if she wanted to keep some distance between them? Was it really something open to conscious choice?

-

_I didn't say thank you... _

_I couldn't even promise..._

_- _

_However, like on that day, if the wind blows _

_Then I know we will surely meet again..._

_- _

Sousuke caught the tail end of the song. It had him looking over at Kaname, who was now laughing and joking about something with Ryo, Maya, and Kyouko. He did indeed have things to thank Kaname for. He had been neglectful in that manner. But, he was not good at thanking people. Thinking about the wind that constantly blew through his life, he wondered where he might be carried next. Somehow, he didn't wish to be tossed around like a leaf anymore.

Things were not easy for him at school. But, he had to admit to himself that he was learning things about himself there, even if he had trouble fitting in. He had friends his own age, something that had not been issued along with his mess kit, weapons, and bunk assignment aboard Da Danaan.

He looked over at Kaname. How would he feel, if he was removed from this mission, and placed somewhere that seemed more appropriate for a soldier with his set of skills? Would it matter to her, if he was forced to leave?

"It's my turn," one girl said. "And I am going to ask Sousuke." She thought a moment. "What is the biggest secret you are hiding?"

"I must take the Dare," Sousuke answered immediately. There was no way that he could ever mention Mithril. If he was fortunate, there would never be any reason for his classmates to find out about his reason for being at school.

"OK, suit yourself." The girl's eyes lit up. "Is there any Pocky left?" There was. Plenty. "Good. Here's what you have to do. You have to put it in your mouth. A girl will do the same to the other end. When I say 'go', you'll both have to start eating it until the candy is gone."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke's eyes went wide. "That would require…"

"_Exactly."_ The girl pointed to the sleeping bags, blankets, and other sundry items spread across the floor. "Clear a spot. Then, everyone gather around." She walked over to a table, grabbed an empty bottle, and then walked over to the cleared area. "We'll spin the bottle to find the lucky girl."

Kaname bit her lip.


	8. Chapter 8

The windows rattled.

While everyone had been getting so caught up in the game, a storm had blown in. Streaks of lightning illuminated parts of the city, while the booming sound of thunder rumbled along the darkened streets.

"Not afraid of a little storm, _are_ you Sousuke?" Maya grinned. She was a bit nervous herself, just as the other girls were. But, it was Sousuke who looked the most dyspeptic. All because of Pocky.

"Negative," Sousuke said. "I have been out in much worse, in far less habitable locations." The way he tossed that off had a few girls giggling nervously.

"Are you nervous about the Dare?" Ryo asked. "At least _you_ don't have to wonder if you'll get chosen." She eyed the bottle sitting on its side.

"No. I have endured worse things." Sousuke replied. That time, his way of putting things did not sit well with the girls.

"That's right," Kyouko said. "He had to kiss Mizuki again." She squeaked when Mizuki tugged on her pig tails.

What's wrong, Sousuke?" Kaname wondered if the fact that Sousuke had borne the weight of so many Dares was bothering him.

"The thunder reminds me of the legend of Susanowo, the god of Storms." Sousuke frowned, looking over at a pile of Pocky boxes. "He was made to go through a lot of hardships, due to the unfairness of women."

"Really? _How?" _Ren asked, as calm as ever. She wasn't concerned about the bottle.

"**DON'T ASK HIM THAT!"**

A number of girls had already suffered their fill of Sousuke's historical references. Legends were even worse. At least history actually happened.

"Too late," Kaname said, sighing.

"One day, Susanowo visited his sister Amaterasu, the Sun goddess. Because her brother had been jealous of the position she had been given, Amaterasu feared that he had come to steal her rightful place. He swore his innocence, but she would not believe him." Sousuke looked over at Kaname, having been through a number of such instances himself.

"What?" Kaname made a face and folded her arms over her chest.

"I did not mention you by name, Kaname." Sousuke said.

"I know that, you big stupid head." Kaname's eyes flashed. "You were…" She was interrupted.

"Let him finish up, so we can get back to the game." The Umpire tapped the halisen against her palm. It had a nice weight. Maybe she should get one herself. It could be the new fad.

"To settle matters, they held a contest. If Susanowo won, his sister would believe him and allow him to visit. Each of them was to create as many male deities as they could. The one who created the greater number would be declared the winner." Sousuke continued speaking, as the lights flickered for a moment and then stayed on. "Amaterasu performed her magic, and created three female deities from Susanowo's sword. He in turn created five male deities from his sister's fertility beads."

"So, he won. Great. Let's get that bottle spinning." One girl said.

"It is true, he _did_ win. However, his sister claimed that she deserved credit for the five male deities, because they sprang forth from her beads. Likewise, the female deities had come from Susanowo's sword." Sousuke looked around the room, meeting the gaze of the girls. "When they argued, she became furious and hid in her rock-dwelling. That plunged the world into darkness. Amaterasu had been so emotional as to neglect her duty, and in this respect, she was at fault. Nonetheless, all the other deities blamed it on Susanowo, who was innocent. They banished him from heaven."

"Ohhh…" Ryo nodded her head. "I think I see a few similarities here. Kaname did something to Sousuke. He made the mistake of talking about it. Kaname ran to hide in her room." She smiled. "After that, Sousuke ended up dancing. Then, he was put on the spot with Mizuki and her fruit fetish. Now, he will be center stage in the Pocky kiss.

"Poor Sousuke," one girl said. "We _have_ been a little hard on him."

"Maybe you should choose another Dare," another girl said to her friend, the one who had selected the game for Sousuke to play.

"I know the Amaterasu story," Maya said. "Susanowo was supposed to govern his lands, but got into trouble instead. He was reckless, and had a habit of destroying things. Most people were afraid of him."

"Hmmm… who does _that_ remind me of?" Ryo looked at Sousuke.

"That's right," one girl said. "Amaterasu worked very hard to create the wheat fields and rice paddies in heaven. But, Susanowo destroyed them all." She looked at Sousuke and made a face. The story about Kaname's unfortunate artwork bust was only a small part of the Sousuke Sagara saga. "Amaterasu forgave him."

"Now I remember the tale," another girl said, snapping her fingers. "She also worked heard to create a really great palace. He destroyed that, too." Her fingers trembled. She had been one of the girls who had spent all night baking, making a cake for a contest that Kaname was judging. Sousuke had gone through each cake, to make certain they weren't booby-trapped. "Amaterasu forgave him for that, too." The look she gave Sousuke had him blinking rapidly.

"He also flung a half-flayed pony through the windows of the celestial weaving house, smashing the looms and breaking the sacred threads of connection between every living thing." Maya smiled, seeing the way that everyone was looking at Sousuke now. "She didn't forgive him _that_ time." She saw a number of girls pat Kaname on the back and say how sorry they were for the things she had been through ever since a certain cretin had arrived at the school.

"_Hmmmpppfff," _Kaname said, lifting her chin up. "Even a goddess isn't as forgiving as I am. Remember that, you big jerk."

"There's a different version of the tale," one girl claimed. "In that one, the final straw came when Susanowo defiled Amaterasu's sacred virgins."

The girls all looked at each other. They looked at Sousuke. Some of them pulled blankets over their bodies, while others built walls out of pillows.

"So, it looked like that guy got everything he deserved," Mizuki said. _"Right?" _After she finished her last word, the power went out completely.

"It is not my fault," Sousuke said, commenting on the darkness. All of the girls began throwing their pillows in his direction. Seeing how his story was turned against him, Sousuke once again chose to take the offensive. That kind of thing was slowly becoming easier for him. "Perhaps one of you can restore the light the way that Ama-no-Uzume did in the legend."

"How was that?" Kyouko asked before the other girls had time to shush her.

"She shed the leaves and flowers she had clothed herself in and danced naked. All the male gods roared with laughter, and Amaterasu became curious." Sousuke heard the squeaks of indignation. "When she took a look beyond her cave, she was pulled out by the god Ameno-Tajikarawo after she was dazzled by her own reflection in a mirror. That sounds familiar, where girls are concerned."

"_**GET HIM!" **_

No one was entirely certain who called out. Before anyone knew it, a number of girls jumped on Sousuke, tickling him, smacking him with their fuzzy slippers, and striking him with pillows. That was followed by a massive pile-on. A few minutes later, the electrical power was restored.

When the girls all got up, Sousuke was at the bottom of the pile, with Kaname spread-eagled on top of him. Seeing that, Mizuki said. "I guess _that_ lifted Kaname's depression." She pointed at her and Sousuke. "That's why the light came back on."

"_Awwwwww-wwwww-wwww-www-ww-w…"_

"That's… well… no way…" Kaname froze. It wasn't Mizuki's words that bothered her, or the fact that the girls were all looking at her with knowing smirks. No. Laying on top of Sousuke, she was very much aware of something. More than anything, she hoped that he had put the grenade back in his pocket.

"Uhhh… errr…ummm…" Sousuke looked rather uncomfortable. It wasn't because Kaname's laying on him was painful. Quite the opposite. With her laying across him, and the weight of the other girls pressing him down against certain parts of him, he was slave to an anatomic prerogative that predated intelligent speech in the human animal.

Kaname's first instinct was to jump up and move as far away from Sousuke as possible. But, if the other girls got wind of what just happened, she'd never hear the end of things. She was caught on the horn of a dilemma. Getting off of Sousuke would make his physiologic transformation rather obvious.

"You're _dead, _mister…" Kaname's threat could only be heard by Sousuke. She knew it wasn't fair, but she had to blame someone for her predicament.

"I did not intend to… salute…" Sousuke blushed. That was a rarity, and caught the other girls' attention.

"Sousuke looks rather distressed," Maya observed. "Perhaps it's because Kaname's too chunky."

"Well, whatever the reason, there's only one way to help him." Ryo motioned to the other young ladies.

"That's right," one girl said. **"Pile on!" **That prompted another human pyramid built on top of Kaname and Sousuke.

Naturally, that only made things worse. Sousuke was very much aware of Kaname softness. Kaname, on the other hand, was rather aware of Sousuke's hardness. Staring into one another's face, they were able to see a wide range of emotions come and go. Sousuke tried to look apologetic. Kaname looked like the Fifth Rider of the Apocalypse.

When the girls finally got off again, Sousuke found the best solution to the situation that he possibly could. A well tossed slipper knocked over the one lamp that was still lit. Grabbing a pillow, he held it in front of him, running towards the bathroom after claiming he needed to go 'real bad'.

"You were in there a long time, Sousuke." Ren looked concerned. "Are you alright? The girls didn't hurt you, _did_ they."

"I am fine," Sousuke said. "I prefer not to discuss bodily functions." That was very true, just not in the way that the girls thought.

Kaname blushed. She didn't know if Sousuke was making a play on words or not. It didn't matter. That was one more thing to hold against him. _Urk! _Bad choice of worse. Now he had her doing it! Big jerk.

"Well, enough delay. It's time." The Umpire motioned to the girl who had come up with this Dare. She would have the honor of spinning the bottle.

"That's right," the girl said. "Everyone gather around. Who's it going to be. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows." With a deft flick of her wrist, she sent the bottle spinning. At first, it was nothing more than a blur. As it spun, the young women all jockeyed for position. Most wanted to slide behind other girls unnoticed. Some tried to guess where the bottle might stop.

Kaname had her fingers crossed. It couldn't be her. It better _not_ be her. Not after what just happened. She couldn't imagine going through the Dare, with _that_ on her mind. Worse, she couldn't think of going through with things knowing that Sousuke probably had that on his mind too.

"Step right up," the girl said, sounding like a food cart owner, the dealer at some kind of game of chance, or the owner of a Freak Show. "Don't be shy girls, now's your big chance." She watched as the bottle slowed. "Who gets to do the Dare with the amazing otaku boy?"

"It better not be _me _again," Mizuki said, feeling somewhat tense.

"Sousuke better hope it's not Kyouko," Ryo said. "She'd probably try to French Kiss him."

"Miss Tokiwa?" Sousuke looked over at Kyouko. That had her shaking her head so hard that her glasses slipped off.

"He's getting better," Maya remarked. "I expected him to ask Ky if she was French." That had the girls laughing nervously.

"Kaname?" Sousuke cocked his head.

"_Nnnn-nnn-nn-n…" _Kaname made it a point to ignore him.

The bottle spun slower… slower… slow-er… slowww-errr… and finally stopped. Everybody looked over at two girls, feeling relieved or envious. The bottle neck was pointed directly between Kaname and Kyouko.

Kaname closed her eyes. Of course. With her luck, what else could possibly happen? Kyouko froze, her heartbeat increasing by the second, and her ears ringing. Why her? Why did it have to be her?

"So, what do we do?" A girl asked the Umpire. "Should the two of them have to do the Pocky thing with Sousuke…" She grinned a wicked grin. "…Or should Kaname and Kyouko have to do it with each other?"

Kyouko and Kaname both wobbled where they sat.

"What do _you _think, Sousuke." The Umpire knew that she was putting Sousuke on the spot. "Some guys might think that two girls doing that would be hot." She ignored Kaname's glare and Kyouko's puppy dog eyes. "What's it going to be?"

"Let me think." Sousuke sat deathly still. "I have a number of possible solutions. The first would involve this." He took the concussion grenade out of his weapons bag. "I could pull the pin, give it to Kaname and Miss Tokiwa, and they could pass it between themselves until it detonated."

"Works for me," Mizuki said.

"Me too," Ryo and Maya said at the same time.

"I was only joking," Sousuke said. "Weapons such as these do not grow on trees. I may need it later."

"Wonderful," Kaname said.

"Or, we could ask each of them a Truth, and the one who answers best will be awarded the opportunity to choose." Sousuke offered. "If they both refuse to answer, then they would both be required to follow through on the Dare."

"That's what we'll do then," the Umpire said, blowing Sousuke a kiss. "I'll ask the question. Any one have any objections?"

Sousuke raised his hand. "I would like to ask the question."

"Japanese History?" The Umpire was very shrewd. "Well, in this situation, I think that might actually be appropriate. We interrupted your studying after all." She thought a moment. "Why not. Go ahead!"

"Thanks," Kaname said sarcastically. "Thanks a lot."

"In 1853, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry came to Japan in command of a squadron, seeking a Japanese trade treaty. He flew his flag from one of two black-hulled steam frigates, each of which towed one of two sloops." Sousuke looked over at Kaname, and then at Kyouko. "The one who gets the greatest number of ship name correct will be the winner." It was a fair question. The names of the ships had been present in fine print, underneath one of the chapter illustrations. "Miss Tokiwa?"

"I…" Kyouko looked stricken. Her hands started trembling slightly. "It's…" She turned somewhat pale. "I don't know… the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria…"

"None of those are correct," Sousuke said. "You need name only one, Kaname."

"Ky…" Kaname looked over at her friend, feeling sorry for her. "The answer is _Susquehanna_, _Mississippi_, _Plymouth_, and _Saratoga_." She rarely missed a detail.

"Correct on all four," Sousuke said. "That earns you the right to choose." He did not feel as brave as he sounded.

"Well, that's easy." Kaname smiled. When she looked over at Kyouko again, her smile faded. "It's OK, Ky. It's just a game."

"Yes… I know…" Kyouko tried to put on a brave face but failed miserably. "You won fair and square. I'll do what I have to do."

Kaname sat staring at Kyouko for a while. The other girls grew more and more antsy, waiting for the answer. The Umpire asked for the timer, and then pushed down on one of the buttons. The hand moved around the clock face, drawing everyone's attention.

"I'll do it," Kaname said. She reached over and squeezed Kyouko's shoulder. As she turned to look at Sousuke, she was definitely of two minds. While part of her wanted nothing to do with this, under these circumstances, another part was flush with anticipation. She could do this with a good excuse. It was all about being magnanimous, rescuing poor Kyouko. No one could prove otherwise.

"Talk about your true friend," one girl said.

"I don't know," Mizuki mused, yawning. "Maybe Kaname really _wanted_ to eat some Pocky with Sousuke."

"Kaname, is this true?" Sousuke looked at Kaname, feeling somewhat strange inside. "Did you wish to do the Dare with me?" He felt somewhat edgy. The answer was somehow important. Why did he find himself wanting to hear Kaname say 'Yes'?

Kaname felt as if she had been slammed straight between the eyes with a ten pound sledge hammer. Why did that big imbecile have to ask that question, in front of all her friends no less? _Geeez. _She couldn't take him anywhere!

If she said 'yes', word would be all over school the moment the other girls set foot into school. No, they would be on the telephone as soon as they left the party. If she said 'no', she wouldn't have to worry about that. But, how could she lie to Sousuke? Not only did he deserve better than that, but he might make some kind of decision based on her answer.

Wait. It was Sousuke. One man Demolition Squad. The albatross around her neck. A boy who had turned her peaceful life inside out and upside down. He should consider himself lucky if she even answered at all! Moron. Idiot. Jerk. Big stupid head. Besides, even though part of her wanted to do this with him, part of her did not. That way, she could answer either 'yes' or 'no' without lying.

"Maya is just trying to tease me," Kaname said. "She's just looking to stir up trouble."

"Ahhh, I see." Sousuke nodded his head. His face didn't change in the least. But, his eyes looked a little different for a moment. That had Kaname feeling like a cad. "I suppose that we should proceed nevertheless. I apologize that you have to do something that is unpleasant for you."

"I… it's…" Kaname felt somewhat ashamed. But, how could she do anything different? "There's a lot of Pocky left. What flavor do you want?" She pointed over at the group of packages.

"It doesn't matter," Sousuke said. His eyes were back to normal. "I am not even aware of what Pocky is, or why it should have such a name."

"Well, I can help you there." Kaname tried to sound cheerful. Being helpful in this manner made her feel a little better. "This is Pocky." She pulled one of the slender flavor-coated snacks out of an open box. "A thin, cookie-like stick, with a consistency and taste somewhere between biscotti, pretzels, and graham crackers." She snapped it in half. "Hear that noise. Sounded sort of like 'pocking,' right? That's where the name came from."

"We still have some Strawberry and some Green Tea," Ryo said, holding up two packages.

"We still have some Strawberry and some Green Tea," Ryo said.

"There's Almond Crush and Yubari Melon," Ren added.

"Lemon Cheesecake," one girl said. She smiled, picking up the last box with any cookies left inside. "Orange Chocolate." She swung one of the sticks in front of Sousuke's eyes like a pendulum. "I bet Sousuke's chooses this one."

"That will do," Sousuke said. "I like orange." He twitched, thinking back to Mizuki's use of fruit.

"O… OK…" Kaname had a similar thought.

"Madame Umpire, when should we begin?" Sousuke began to sweat again. Now that the event was at hand, he found himself feeling very anxious. Not realizing what he was doing, he held the Pocky stick upright, resting it on his lap. It waved about some, catching Kaname's eye.

"Urrr…" Kaname felt the blood drain out of her face. Why was that big idiot holding the Pocky like that? No. Why was she looking at it? Gulp. She couldn't help but think back to how she had been pressed against him.

"Is something wrong, Kaname?" Kyouko looked somewhat worried. She was feeling guilty, since Kaname had taken her place in the Dare.

"OK, Sousuke," the Umpire said. "Put the Pocky in your mouth." She gave him a 'V' sign when he did as he was told. "OK, Kaname. Move closer. Put it in your mouth."

Kaname did as she was told, too. She felt her face grow warm, thanks to that 'put it in your mouth' and her previous thoughts. Her knees brushed up against Sousuke's. She almost felt as if a spark of static electricity had jumped between them.

"_Hold on!" _One girl ran and grabbed her perfume sprayer. She walked over and gave Kaname a liberal dousing. It was the 'Carnal Flowers'. "Alright, go ahead." The girls all began chatting amongst one another in quiet excited voices.

"Perfect!" Maya said.

"That's right," Ryo agreed.

"Pucker up…" Mizuki could barely contain herself. This was great, when it happened to someone else.

"Start nibbling," the Umpire said.

"Nibbling?" Sousuke let the Pocky fall off of his lip.

"On the Pocky," the Umpire said, rolling her eyes. "Start taking small bites. Both of you. Keep going until the cookie is all gone." She had Sousuke take the treat back up in his mouth.

The delay had Kaname feeling tense. It should be the simplest thing in the world: take a number of small bites, touch her lips against Sousuke's and that's it. No big deal. Over and done with. So why was she quivering?

Sousuke began taking small bites. The taste was not objectionable. He felt his legs go weak, and wondered if the candy coating might have been drugged. Looking over at Kaname's eyes, he stopped nibbling. The scent of the perfume had him feeling more excited than the smell of the hazard class 1.3 Nitramine-based smokeless propellant that wafted across a battlefield after a fierce drawn out A.S. battle.

"Keep biting, Sousuke." The Umpire smacked the halisen down hard against her leg.

"Biting?" Sousuke let the Pocky fall out of his mouth again. "Before, you said 'nibbling'. Should I take larger pieces with each movement?"

"Any one else want to be Umpire?" The girl hung her head and sighed. A number of the other girls smacked their foreheads.

"You…" Kaname closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now she felt even more anxious. Holding the Pocky between her teeth, Kaname managed to say "She means you should keep going without stopping."

Sousuke took up the Pocky again, very aware of how close his face was to Kaname's. He began nibbling again, getting closer and closer with each bite. Kaname did the same, feeling a cold chill run up and down her back. She could feel Sousuke's breath upon her face. Even after having been doused with soda and punch, and plastered with pizza, he smelled remarkably clean. Not only that, but there was a hint of natural musk about him. This time, she stopped eating without knowing it.

"Kaname," The Umpire said, getting things back on track.

_Closer… closer… closer…closer…closer… closer… closer…closer…closer… closer… _

A few more nibbles and the Pocky would be gone. The girls all leaned closer and closer, the excitement growing. Kyouko had the camera ready.

The lights flickered again. The power went out. Because the flashlights were buried somewhere under the pile of blankets and pillows, the room was pitch black. That had all of the girls looking for any way to illuminate the room. Sousuke and Kaname continued with the game. Amongst all the frenzied commotion, their lips met.

Normally, the two players would end the game at that point, blushing or smiling, listening to the comments that their friends made. Sousuke didn't know that. He kept his lips on Kaname's, waiting for the signal to stop. Kaname had stopped trembling, and leaned some of her weight towards Sousuke, her instincts overriding her conscious intentions. Things came closer and closer to evolving into a real kiss. The beating of their hearts was loud in their ears.

A loud peel of thunder shock the windows again. Startled, Kaname leaned back, ending the moment. She put her hand to her mouth, wondering what had just happened, and trying to figure out what it meant to her. Sousuke sat with the same posture he started with, his mind buzzing. What was that? It was similar to the kiss with Mizuki, but very different in some way. Why did he feel a sense of disappointment?

"**Found one!" **Mizuki called out when she found one of the flashlights. Laying on her belly, crawling between haphazardly stacked sleeping bags, she turned the light on. She played it around the room until she found Kaname and Sousuke.

"They're done," Maya said. "And we missed it."

"_Bogus_…" One girl's sentiment was quickly echoed by the others.

"It's no big thing," the Umpire said. "We have more Pocky." She smiled, blinking when the light shone on her face. "They could always do it again."

"Kaname?" Sousuke turned in her direction, seeing her outline in the scantly lit room.

"No," Kaname said, trying to sound firm. "No way." Her lips were still tingling; but, this was about saving face. "We did what we were supposed to do. The Dare is over. _Next."_

Everyone grumbled, but gave in. While Kaname went off to gather up a number of candles, the game continued. Standing alone in her darkened room, Kaname brought her hand to her mouth again. She had been very close to putting her arms around Sousuke. That was silly, wasn't it? He was just Sousuke. Right. Who was she kidding?

What was that big stupid head thinking? Did he like it? Was it just the touching of lips for him? Ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o. She couldn't ever come out and ask him that, and he would probably never bring up the subject. Damn him.

Hovering by the door, she listened as a number of Truths were asked. "Would you rather have an island, a flower, a disease, or an invention named after you." "How old were you when you learned about the Birds and the Bees." "What was the last promise that you broke." "Who was your hero growing up." "Have you ever stuck something weird up your nose." "Besides watching movies, what else have you done in a theater." "What was the biggest mistake you ever made." "Have you ever played Doctor." "Is the answer to this question 'No'."

"Hey, Kaname…" Maya called out. "What's keeping you with those candles?"

"Coming," Kaname said.


	9. Chapter 9

A large number of girls had snuggled up in their sleeping gear and fallen asleep.

That wasn't surprising. The storm had passed, and there was barely two hours until dawn. Everyone was exhausted; but, a number of hardy souls continued playing Truth or dare.

Sousuke had tried to excuse himself on a number of occasions, but no one would hear of it. Kaname kept nodding off, but asked Kyouko to wake her up whenever that happened. When Kyouko fell asleep, she was forced to stay awake on will power alone. There was no way that she was going to leave that big idiot unchaperoned!

The game couldn't go on much longer. The players were running out of questions, and the Dares had begun repeating themselves. A number of girls huddled together. They needed one more big score. The 'who' part was easy. It was the 'what' that they needed.

"I know," Maya said, snapping her fingers. "I can't believe we didn't do this earlier."

"Wh-…" Ryo yawned before she was bale to get her word out. _"What?"_

"Wait and see," Maya said, finding that yawn to be contagious. "Trust me. It's a winner."

"But…" Mizuki had just woken up again.

"Next round. When it's my turn again. It will be classic." Maya smiled.

Kaname frowned. She didn't like the way that her friends were all huddled together. They were up to something. She was sure of it. Muttering, she looked over at Sousuke again. She bit her lip and rubbed her fingers again, thinking about their kiss. Well, their almost kiss. No, it was a kiss. Ohhh-hh-h… whatever!

The Truths and Dares made the rounds. One question caught Kaname off guard, even though it didn't sound like much at face value.

"OK, Kaname…" One girl had a half dozen empty coffee cups ringing her. "Out of everybody in the whole world, who has disappointed you the most lately?" She finished off another cup. "Politicians… teachers… parents… friends… whoever…"

"It's…" Kaname looked over at Sousuke. She hoped that they had made an even closer connection that night than they had before. At the very least, she felt that she had made some progress understanding her own feelings. If she answered truthfully, would she ruin all that. What good was it moving one step forward, if she ended up taking two or three back?

"You may be truthful," Sousuke said, rubbing his neck. "I expect that the answer is obvious." He looked unconcerned on the outside; but, no one there was capable of determining how he felt on the inside. "I will hold no grudges."

"Well…" Kaname frowned. He'd hold no grudges? The big idiot made it sound like this was combat or something. He probably didn't have a romantic bone in his body. No, he probably didn't have a romantic cell in his body! Right? Maybe not. She couldn't keep making assumptions about him, and should go out of her way to expect the worst. What good could possibly come of that? "To be honest, it's Sousuke."

"I apologize," Sousuke said. He had no misconceptions about his job performance. True, Kaname was still alive. Yes, he had managed to rescue her from dangerous situations. But, he had also put her in danger, through his actions. Not only that, he had disrupted her life.

"Hey… it's not _that_ bad…" Kaname tried to put on a big smile. "Come on, Sousuke… it's not because you're a jerk or anything." She needed something positive to say. What? That would do. "Part of it is that I have such high expectations for you, you know? You need a lot of work, but nothing good comes easy."

Maya, Ryo, and Mizuki all yawned. They seconded Kaname's comments, even though they didn't know Sousuke as well as she did. Some of the other girls chimed in as well.

"I understand," Sousuke said. "I too see a problem." He stretched, working a tight shoulder. "I have not had high enough expectations for myself in certain things. I must endeavor to correct that." He opened his mouth again, and then shut it. By all accounts, he had no business having any expectations about Kaname or the way that she treated him.

Kaname wasn't able to read his mind. She didn't have too. Sousuke wasn't the only one who had things to work on.

Things went smoothly after that, until it came time for Sousuke to choose 'Truth' or 'Dare'. Despite the fact that the rules had been lax all night, the Asker demanded that he make his decision before he heard the question. Having had his fill of Dares for a while, he chose 'Truth'.

"Sousuke, how many condoms do you usually carry on you?" After the girl asked that, her friends started waking up other girls. They wouldn't want to miss _this_ one. Before Sousuke could answer, the question was repeated a half dozen times.

Kaname froze. Condoms. Why did she ask _that? _Sousuke wouldn't carry anything of that sort on him, _would_ he? He better not!

"Two," Sousuke said. "Sometimes, when I require them, one does not hold enough volume."

"Wh-… Wh-… Wh-…" Kaname started coughing.

"_Oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o_…" The girls were all wide awake now. Some of them were dizzy from sitting up too quickly. Most of them suffered vertigo from just picturing what Sousuke's comment implied.

"You've used them," one girl asked. "More than once?"

"Affirmative," Sousuke said calmly. "There have been a number of times that I would have been in big trouble, had I forgot them." He nodded sagely. "One must prepare for all possibilities."

"Omigod," another girl said, blinking rapidly. She had never pictured Sousuke that way before.

"P-… P-…P-…" Kaname felt a chill pass throughout her entire body. Possibility? Did that big idiot view her as one of his possibilities? Had his clueless behavior around her and other girls been nothing more than an act?

"When was the last time that you used one?" That girl was smacked on the head by a number of her friends who thought the question to personal. Most of the girls, however, hung on Sousuke's words.

"The day at the beach," Sousuke said. "That time that Kaname left with the young man's servant, and I went to retrieve her."

"_Mmmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m_…" Thew girls all turned to look at Kaname.

"But… But…" Kaname began to get angry. "It wasn't with me!" She gave Sousuke a look of disgust. If he was making up a story about her, she would get up, slap his face, and tell him never to come back. But, what if he was talking about some other girl? Could he have done something while she was at the mansion on the cliff? She began looking around the room, searching everyone's face for some clue she didn't want to find.

"Kaname is correct," Sousuke said. "None of you would know the woman. She looked to be in great need, so I did what I could."

"You…" Kaname felt as if the whole room was spinning.

"I also offered it to a young girl, but her mother did not like the look of it." Sousuke shrugged. To some people, there were more important things than practicality.

"_Ohhhhhh-hhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…" _A number of the girls put their hands to their mouths.

Ren blushed, looking uncomfortable for the first time that night.

"_You_… _You_…" Kaname tensed up. She bit the inside of her mouth, Tears came to her eyes.

"I was going to offer one to you, Miss Tokiwa." Sousuke looked over at Kyouko, wondering why her limbs all jerked. "I thought perhaps you and Shinji might wish to partake in it." He watched as Kaname went to help her friend. It looked as if Kyouko had passed out.

"_Whoooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o_…" The girls began chatting in animated fashion, sparing a glance for Kyouko now and again.

"A lot of you girls looked hot that day," Sousuke remarked. "I would gladly have shared it with any one of you." The room went dead quiet after that.

"**_You_**… **_you_**… **_you… big jerk!" _**Kaname raised her voice, waking the few girls that had still been asleep.

"Why are you angry, Kaname?" Sousuke looked puzzled. "I do not understand why my generosity should upset you?" He looked around the room, hoping that someone would clue him in. Was their some tradition of his homeland that he was unaware of? "I would have offered it to you first, but you had already left."

"_Hmmmmmm-mmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m…" _The conversations became louder and louder.

"I think you're disgusting!" Kaname stood up, feeling as if she was about to fly apart into am million pieces. "It's one thing to think about all of us in that way. We're not just something for you to satisfy your stupid desires on." She walked over and grabbed her halisen, shaking it at Sousuke. "But to brag about that like… like… like…"

Kaname didn't care if she was overreacting. What a fool she had been. She had finally allowed herself to examine her true feelings. She had started fantasizing about kissing that perverted moron for real.

"Perhaps there is a misunderstanding here." Sousuke began walking towards the kitchen area. He had remembered something. After returning to _Da Danaan _from Russia, where the SRT had rescued a red-haired Whispered girl, he had been assigned to this mission along with Kurz and Melissa. She had made an incorrect assumption about some of the contingency items he carried in his kit.

"There certainly was," Kaname said, helping Kyouko sit up again. "But never again." She didn't care what the other girls thought about all this. It was time to toss that jerk out the same window he came in.

"Melissa Mao made the same mistake once," Sousuke said, working over at the sink. The sound of running water could be heard. "When she asked about the condoms, she assumed that I used them for… uhhh…."

"What are you trying to say," Ren asked in a quiet reasonable voice.

"In the absence of a canteen or other container, a condom can hold a tremendous amount of water without bursting." He tied off the filled prophylactic and tossed it to Mizuki. She dropped it like it was a hot potato. "It was a tremendously hot day by the ocean. Many people had exhausted the refreshments that they had brought with them. Since I had taken water from such items in the past, I thought that they might wish to do the same."

Kaname's mouth fell open and stayed that way. She should have known better. But, just when she thought she had seen and heard it all with a certain sergeant, he managed to top himself. She felt as if she had the letters J-A-C-K-A-S-S tattooed across her forehead.

No. There was no reason for her to feel stupid. Everyone had thought the same thing that she did. That… that… that… that total idiotic clueless otaku nincompoop!

"A condom," Kaname said in a barely audible voice. "As a canteen," she added, walking over near Mizuki. "Why didn't we _all_ think of that?" She picked up the impromptu water balloon.

"Not everyone here has experience in survival situations," Sousuke said. "You should not feel unintelligent or embarrassed. Even the brightest person can miss the obvious."

Kaname walked over to Sousuke. "Survive _this!" _She slipped the lose knot off of the condom, upended it, and stuck the open end down Sousuke's trousers. "Big idiot. Don't scare me like that again…"

"_Scare?" _Sousuke shook one of his legs, trying to get the water out. "Kaname?" He looked up at her. "Why would you have been scared."

"What?" Kaname flinched. She had certainly put her foot in her mouth that time. "It's just that…" All of her friends were staring at her. She was not about to answer truthfully. "Don't be a total moron. Think about it. A boy in a room full of girls in their pajamas. Punch spiked with alcohol. Everyone acting a bit crazy. You were talking about condoms."

Kaname slid her one hand down to her wrist, trying not to be obvious. She took her pulse. Her heart was beating at a tremendous rate. That was ridiculous. She needed to calm down.

"Did Sousuke's condom story have you worried, Kaname?" Maya arched one eyebrow. "You seemed mighty upset."

"But, we would _never_ think you were jealous or something." Ryo tried not to grin.

"Never," Mizuki added, making no effort to suppress her smile.

"_Jealous?"_ Kaname tried to sound as incredulous as she could. "Don't be silly. Jealous over what?" She looked at Sousuke. "Better yet, jealous over _who?_ A guy whose first thoughts about condom are about using them to carry around water?" She saw Sousuke look down at his feet. She couldn't lay things on too thick. "In case you forgot, I'm the hostess here. I don't think we want to sit around hearing anyone bragging about sex."

"Really?" One girl asked. "Not even after a totally steamy Dare." She winked at one of her friends.

"That's right," the friend said. "We already did the kissing thing. We even had a strip tease. If I had the chance to give Sousuke another Dare, I was going to send him off into another room with someone." She fluffed her hair. "_If_ you know what I mean."

"R-… R-… Room…" Kaname's face went pale, and then began turning read with anger.

"Sure," Maya said, elbowing Maya. "You wouldn't have to worry. You did your share. So did Mizuki. It will be someone else's turn."

"I wonder who…" Maya tapped at her chin with one fingernail, looking around the room.

"Nice try, guys." Kaname said, bringing herself under control. "Like any of you would go ahead with something like that. _Hmmmpppfff."_ She buffed her nails on her pajama blouse. "Sousuke wouldn't either, _would_ you Sousuke?" She looked over at the young soldier.

"That is incorrect," Sousuke said, lacing his fingers together and stretching. The cracking of his knuckles could easily be heard in the room. Everyone was silent, staring at him. "I would follow the rules of the game. And, as with any Dare I did tonight, I would try my very hardest. If I did poorly, I would ask the more experienced women present to help me improve."

This time, there was no whispering. No one giggled or rushed to discuss things with their friends. Kaname tried to swallow but couldn't.

"It is not a problem," Sousuke said. He put his hands behind his neck and lay back. "I suppose now would be a good time to say 'psyche'." That had the girls reacting. They were too tired to club him senseless with pillows at the moment. They promised to pay him back some other day.

The game picked up a little steam, seeing that more people were awake again. Many of them were dreary eyed, guessing that they might end up sleeping a good part of the day away. When it came time for Maya to pick, she chose Sousuke.

"Have those condoms ready?" Maya asked Sousuke. She smiled and said "Just kidding" after she saw Kaname spit out the soda she was drinking. "I'll do what a lot of us have done tonight. I'll let you choose 'Truth' or 'Dare' _after_ you hear the question."

"As you wish," Sousuke said, feeling uneasy despite his earlier claim. There was no way that he would engage in sexual relations as part of a game.

"Who was your first love?" Maya looked on intently. She wanted him to choose 'Dare,' but would gladly take an answer in its place, especially if it turned out to be a girl at Jindai High School.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke went stiff. He had to deal with that subject again. How could he name a girl that he loved, if he didn't even know what love _was?_ "Uhhh…" He did have some suspicion, however. There was someone he appeared to be developing strong feelings for, love or not love. He looked over at Kaname. "Uhhh…"

Kaname felt her heart begin pounding in her chest again. Was that big idiot going to name her? It would be so embarrassing. She would never hear the end of it! But, to be honest, it wouldn't be so bad. It would definitely be better than his mentioning someone else.

"I will accept the Dare," Sousuke said. "As long as it's not of a sexual nature."

"It's not," Maya said. "But who knows… if you do real well, it might _lead_ to that." She smirked, seeing the expression on Sousuke's face. "Kaname, I'll need you to get your Karaoke machine. If Sousuke hadn't shown up, we would have been singing hours ago."

Feeling somewhat relieved, and chiding herself for having been worried at all, Kaname went off to fetch her machine. She still had reservations, but of a much different sort. She wasn't alone. Mizuki was also making a rather sour face. She remembered Sousuke doing karaoke during their faux date.

"So, you'll sing?" One girl asked, chewing on the end of her hair. "Some guys talk all rough and tough, but chicken out when it's time to do that."

"The problem with Sousuke is not getting him to sing." Mizuki hung her head. "It's getting him to _stop."_

"I will sing," Sousuke said, accepting the mission. "It has been a common to provide musical entertainment at parties in Japan from long before the Edo era." He nodded his head. "Dancing and singing was part of a samurai's education. It was expected that every samurai have a dance or a song they could perform."

"Here," Kaname said, passing around a small box after setting the karaoke machine down on a table near Sousuke. "You might need some of these." It was cotton balls.

"I'll choose the first song," Maya said, watching as a number of her classmates began looking through the available songs. "Since it's my Dare." She grinned. "It will require some choreography on your part, Sousuke. I'll have to teach you the words and the movements."

The girls all began chuckling or laughing while Maya went through her instruction. The look on Sousuke's face had been priceless. His performance should be even better, the stuff of legend.

"OK, Sousuke." Maya handed Sousuke the microphone. She put on some music as background. "Go for it."

Sousuke clenched his teeth. He had been through enough already. He had put up with more than enough. This truly affected the honor and dignity of a Specialist. Doing the proper movements, he sang:

"_I'm a little teapot, short and stout  
Here is my handle here is my spout _

_When I get all steamed up, hear me shout  
Just tip me over and pour me out!_

_I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true  
Here's an example of what I can do  
I can change my handle to my spout  
Just tip me over and pour me out."_

"Oh my God, he's so hot" one girl quipped, about to burst with laughter.

"I want him!" Someone else cried out.

"No, he's _mine_…" A third girl stood up and pretended to swoon.

Kaname smiled so big that her face hurt. After that, all of the troubles from earlier in the night seemed to vanish into thin air. The night was complete. No, her life was complete. She could die happy now.

After that, the girls put their heads together and came up with the next song for the disgruntled young mercenary to sing. It would present him with an entirely new set of challenges.

"It's been decided," Maya said, working with the machine to bring up the lyrics for Sousuke. "Utada Hikaru. 'First Love'. "She smiled. "Here…" She pushed Sousuke from behind. "Why don't you stand _here_ while you sing?" She had left him standing in front of Kaname.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard. He met Kaname's eyes before they both looked away. "Uhhh…"

"That's not in the lyrics," Ryo said.

"That's right," Mizuki added. "And wait for the music."

The first verse went past, before Sousuke began to sing. He warbled things as best he could, making the strangling of cats sound like Opera. The girls cringed at first, but soon got into the spirit of things. It was so bad, it was good.

-

"_Tomorrow, at this time_

_Where will you be?_

_Who will you be thinking about?_

_-_

_You are always gonna be my love_

_Even if I fall in love with someone once again_

_I'll remember to love_

_You taught me how_

_You are always gonna be the one_

_It's still a sad song_

_Until I can sing a new song…"_

_-_

Kaname swallowed hard. She knew that Sousuke wasn't singing the song to her. There was nothing to get all mushy about. But, she couldn't help but get caught up in the words. She didn't want to think about sad songs. She didn't want to think about Sousuke leaving Tokyo.

"You're breaking my heart!" One girl called out, laughing.

"And you're breaking my ears," another said.

-

"_The paused time is_

_About to start moving_

_There's many things that I don't want to forget about_

_-_

_Tomorrow, at this time_

_I will probably be crying_

_I will probably be thinking about you…"_

_-_

Sousuke was sweating, just trying to follow the words. He was getting into the spirit of singing, just as he had when he went out on that fake date with Mizuki. His voice grew louder and louder. Soon, he would be in the groove.

As he sang, he began thinking about the lyrics. His mission guarding Kaname was paused-time of a sort. It was as if someone had frozen one of his SRT missions… removed him… and placed him in this city. Before he knew it, someone might pick him back up, but him back where he belonged, and restart time.

There was little chance that he would cry. When had he last done that? But, he realized that he might spend a lengthy period of time thinking about Kaname. There had never been anyone else like her in his life.

-

"_You will always be inside my heart_

_You will always have your own place_

_I hope that I have a place in your heart too_

_Now and forever you are still the one_

_It's still a sad song_

_Until I can sing a new song…"_

_-_

Sousuke went on to finish the song. He looked over at Kaname, and caught her looking at him again. Maybe when he left, she would have a chance to sing her new song. Would his leaving some day make her happy? Could her life ever go back to normal?

The girls all clapped, offering up mock applause. It had been an excruciating experience in some ways, but none of them would have missed it for the world.

"Bravo, Sousuke." Maya took a bow when the other girls congratulated her on a terrific Dare. "We'll let you do one more. Your choice."

"Let me see…" Sousuke rubbed his chin. By the end of that song, his crooning juices had begun flowing again. He tried to think of a passionate song. Yes. There was one he had seen in a war film. It would do nicely, since he somehow remembered the words. "I have it…"

The girls looked at one another. What would he pick? Would it be something romantic? Something sexy? Or might it be something spirited and fun?

"This song is from World War Two," Sousuke said, clearing his throat. "It was sung by German tank soldiers." He struck a pose, imagining himself rumbling across some desert plain or hedgerow bordered field in a tank instead of an Arm Slave. "It is called 'Lied der Panzertruppen'." He began to sing, trying to make his voice sound deep:

"_Ob's stuermt oder schneit, ob die Sonne uns lacht,  
Ob heiter der Himmel oder finster die Nacht --  
Bestaubt sind die Gesichter,  
Doch froh ist unser Sinn, ja unser Sinn:  
Es braust unser Panzer im Sturme dahin…"_

Needless to say, Kaname's mood from before vanished. She sighed. There was no sense being angry or disappointed. It was Sousuke Sagara, after all.

The other girls looked at one another and frowned. Despite their dislike of the song, they decided to have some fun. Quickly, they began gathering up certain items of clothing.

Sousuke paid no attention to the girls rummaging through the bags they had brought with them. He paid no mind when a few of them ran off into other rooms. He was in the middle of the song. He had to do his best to make it a stirring rendition.

"_Und sind wir dann alle zum Kampfe vereint,  
Mit donnerndem Motor heran an den Feind!  
Dann lasst den Kameraden  
Im Kampf nicht allein, ja nicht allein!  
So stosen wir tief in die feindlichen Reih'n..."_

Just like at some of the wilder concerts, articles of clothing began to fly through the air. Shirts, pants, and stockings landed everywhere. One bra landed on Sousuke's head, before sliding off and falling to the floor. A set of frilly lace panties hooked itself over his microphone.

"**I want to have his baby!"** One girl's shout had her friends looking at her. Was she just acting? They hoped so!

"_Souuuuuus_-kaaaaaaaaay…" The crowd began swaying back and forth. A few ran to light the candles again and hold them in their hands.

"Ah well," Mizuki said, joining in.

"_Und laesst uns im Stich dann das treulose Glueck,  
Und kehren wir nicht in die Heimat zurueck,  
Trifft uns die Todeskugel,  
Ruft uns das Schicksal ab, ja Schicksal ab,  
So wird uns der Panzer ein ehernes Grab."_

After that, Truth or Dare petered out. The girls all wanted to try their hands at karaoke. No one sounded as bad as Sousuke. No one even came close, even when they purposefully tried to sing poorly. During one song, a number of girls walked over to him with a paper crown they had made, crowning him the 'K-King', a term usually reserved for a man who is sophisticated in karaoke singing.

While Ryo was singing 'Love Angel' by Hitomi, there was a knock at Kaname's front door. Kaname got up and went over to see who it was. It was probably going to be one of her neighbors. She hoped that it wasn't the apartment manager or the police.

Sousuke quickly grabbed his weapons and his supply bag. Hurdling a number of singing girls, he flattened himself against the wall, near the door, out of sight of anyone standing in the hallway. Most of the partygoers looked at him like he was bonkers, shaking their heads.

"Hello?" Kaname said tentatively, looking out through a crack in the door. Then, her expression changed and she swung the door open. "Aki… but I thought you were sick…" It was one of the girls fro the class, a recent transfer student. She had been invited to the party, but had called to say that she was too ill to attend.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour," Aki said, shuffling her feet and hanging her head. "I… I lied before… I wasn't really sick…" She bit her lip, looking really upset. "I have a problem… and… I…"

"Do you want to come in?" Kaname asked. She wondered what was bothering the girl. She had always been friendly, and tried her best to be a good student. "Everybody's still awake."

"No… I couldn't…" Aki moved her hands nervously. "It would be too embarrassing. I apologize again. But, you have always tried to make me feel at home in school. There's no one else I have that I can talk with."

"Ohhh…" Kaname stepped out into the hallway and let the door close behind her. That gave her and the other girl some privacy. "What can I do to help?"

As soon as the door closed, Aki's face and posture changed. She smiled a flat smile, reaching into her hand bag. Soon, there was a small pistol in her hand. "You can help me by coming along quietly. I was hoping everyone would be asleep by now; but, by the time they miss you, we'll be gone." Keeping her eyes on Kaname, she screwed a long silencer into place.

"But… what…" Kaname froze. She wondered if she should call for Sousuke. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't know why you look so shocked," Aki said. "If someone can place an operative in the school to guard you, why couldn't a clever organization send one in to collect you?" She frowned. "It's hard getting you alone after class. That incompetent soldier is always around." Her eyes brightened. "I knew this would be the perfect opportunity. That boy should be anywhere but at a slumber party for girls."

"**SOUSUKE IS NOT INCOMPETENT. HE WILL RESCUE ME!"**

Kaname put her hands on her hips, acting angry, as if she took offense at the other girl's remarks.

"He is worse than incompetent," Aki said, sneering. "He never had any clue about me. A good bodyguard would run a background check on anyone who was new around you. Not that he and Mithril would have found anything." She motioned with the gun. "Let's go. I have people waiting."

Kaname began walking with Aki, who was keeping the gun pointed at her under a flap of a long coat. Soon, two middle aged men in trench coats steps out from a stairwell, bulges under their outerwear.

"**D-o-w-n-!"** That was Sousuke's voice. Kaname reacted immediately, falling flat to the hallway floor. Shots rang out from both sides of her.

"I will tell you what is incompetent," Sousuke said, having heard the entire conversation. "Making assumptions. Being too lax. Neglecting to bring sufficient assets." He kicked Aki's gun away, before kicking her hard in the head and leaving her unconscious. He moved quickly to do the same to the henchmen, who were barely awake after being hit in the temple area with rubber bullets. "You are safe now, Kaname."

"Sousuke, you're hurt…" Kaname touched his arm, bringing her finger away sticky with blood.

"The bullet merely grazed me. She was a good shot." He looked over at the enemy operative. "I will need to call this in." He flipped open his small satellite phone, punching in the needed frequency. Seeing the doorway crowded with worried girls, he walked until he found a private spot.

"What happened, Kaname?" Kyouko looked very worried. She was afraid for Kaname's sake, but didn't want to stick her head out into the hallway.

"Someone wanted to kidnap me," Kaname said truthfully. She didn't add the word 'again' or explain why. "They weren't expecting Sousuke."

"Who _ever _expects Sousuke," Mizuki said, feeling frightened herself. She and the other girls were ushered back into the room by Kaname, who suddenly felt very weak in the legs. That had been very close. This sort of thing was becoming far too commonplace.

"This is Urzu Seven," Sousuke said, when the dispatcher answered aboard the TDD-1. "Patch me through to Captain Testarossa, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, or any member of the SRT." This would be the most efficacious route. Going through Merida Island Command would slow things down. Someone on the submarine could call them and make a report.

"Sousuke, what is it? Is it urgent?" That was Melissa Mao's voice. Kurz could be heard clearly in the background. "Kainin will be on the line shortly."

"There has been another attempt on Kaname," Sousuke said, before giving Mao the details of the encounter. "I have no idea if there are other men in the building, or waiting in a vehicle. I could use someone from any of the safehouses."

"We'll take care of it, Sousuke old buddy." Kurz had grabbed the handset from Melissa. "But tell me, why are you over at Angel's place, this early in the morning? _Hmmmm._ Getting some lovin'?"

"Give me that, you idiot." Mao was soon back on line. "Why _are_ you there, Sousuke? Did you have some kind of warning ahead of time. If you did, why didn't you report it?"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke blinked rapidly. "There was no prior problem…" He began to sweat. "Well, not of the type that you infer…" He almost jumped when Kaname came padding up quietly behind him to see how he was doing, a First Aid kit in her hand. "You see… I was at…"

"He was at my slumber party," Kaname said, wondering who Sousuke was talking to. For once, she hoped that it was Tessa. "He put on quite a show…" _That_ would teach the big stupid head to do some of the things that he had done.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke almost dropped the communicator. This was not good. This was very _very_ bad. Mao and Weber would know where he had been. They would suspect that something interesting had gone on. 'Relentless' would not begin to describe their subsequent behavior.

When the frazzled soldier put away his satellite phone, he checked out the bandaging that Kaname had done. "A very professional job. My thanks, Kaname."

"Thank _you_, Sousuke." Kaname fought the urge to throw herself on him. Things had happened so quickly, that the nature of the event was only dawning fully on her at that instant. "You saved me again. This time it wasn't your fault." She looked up into his eyes. "I guess it's good to have you around sometimes, after all."

"Affirmative," Sousuke said, feeling a bit edgy. He didn't know how to interpret the look in Kaname's eyes.

"I guess you'll have to be leaving soon huh?" Kaname closed up her First Aid kit. She had pulled Sousuke into the stairwell when neighbors began looking out into the hallway. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Yes," Sousuke said. "That would be wise." He thought a moment. "Otherwise, to hide me, your friends would probably dress me up as a girl, make-up and all." He scowled, seeing the calculating look on Kaname's face. "That is _not_ going to happen. It was bad enough wearing girl's pajamas." He listened again. "I will avoid detection by the authorities while making certain that the building is secure."

"OK," Kaname said, smiling. "Are we still on for studying together, Monday night?" She ran her hand along Sousuke's good arm. She needed to give him something to think about.

"Yes," Sousuke answered.

"Good," Kaname said. "I'll bring the Pocky." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Uhhh…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**THE END**


	10. Epilogue

A small amount of light filtered into the room.

One of the blinds had been left slightly ajar, giving Sousuke enough sunlight to go about his morning routine without bothering his eyes so soon after waking.

Business as usual. Another new day. Time to shake off the effects of sleep and get ready for school. There were things to learn, a girl to protect, and a mission to fulfill.

"Kaname," Sousuke muttered, shuffling about his apartment with only a pair of camouflage briefs on. He froze a moment, realizing that he was thinking about a girl in his current state of undress. "My apologies." He shook his head. Why had he said that? She wasn't in the same building as him, and would have no idea of what he had just thought. Maybe he _was_ as clueless as Kaname made out.

_Made out. _

Those two words had him swallowing hard. He frowned, wondering why he always reacted that way. Not only was he nearly seventeen years old, he was also a soldier, and the pilot of Arbalest! Kaname had kissed him the other night, during their study session. She had promised more to come. It was not a problem.

"**Owww-ww-w**…" Sousuke had absentmindedly stubbed his toe against the leg of the table holding his communications gear. He had never done that before, given his innate sense of orientation with the lights on or off. "There is no logic to this distraction…"

His foot still throbbing, he made up his bed and began laying out his clean and crisply-pressed school uniform. Next to the various pieces of clothing, he placed his books and school supplies. On top of those, he started adding the weapons he would take with him that morning. He would pack up his satchel after showering, getting dressed, and getting breakfast ready.

While in the shower, he thought back to his Japanese History test. He had done very well. The teacher had challenged him after grading things, wondering if he had written his name on someone else's paper, or cheated somehow. But, the handwriting was unmistakable, and no one else had gone into as much useless detail as he had.

'Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and again,' the teacher had said. 'Maybe you should come to more Truth or Dare parties,' had been Kaname's comment. Well, it had been her remark later in the day. Her first response had been to smack him on the top of the head, finding out that he had actually done better than her.

"Truth or Dare," Sousuke mumbled, the water running down over his face. Lathering up with a bar of soap he had brought from the TDD-1, he thought back to the trials and tribulations he had faced that fateful evening. "Dares are not an issue. It is the Truth that is a problem." He was not concerned about the deception he lived every day at Jindai High School. That was a necessity. No. he was still worried about Kurz and Melissa. So far, he had managed to keep from letting anything slip. But, that was only because there was only so much broadcast time available, due to security reasons. Had they been able to corner him in person, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

"Kaname…" Sousuke applied a good bit of fragrant shampoo to his hands, and then began to work it into his hair. "I hope they do not contact _her_…" He sighed, wondering if she would keep his actions at the slumber party secret. Would she feel some need to protect him, or would she stumble over herself in a rush to tell what she knew? Fortunately, she had not been contacted by his fellow SRT members. At least, if she had, she made no mention of it.

Finished in the bathroom Sousuke went to get his breakfast started before getting dressed. He was not all that hungry yet; but, he would not have another opportunity to eat until lunch time. Food was a crucial part of his morning activities. He was well aware of something that the Duke of Wellington had once said: 'The success of military operations depends upon supplies; there is no difficulty in fighting, and in finding the means of beating your enemy either with or without losses; but to gain your object you must feed.' Napoleon had also commented on that same truth, in a brilliant and concise statement: 'An army travels on its stomach.'

"A soldier is often under a lot of stress," Sousuke told himself. "Food is vitally important to performance and survival." He began rummaging through one of his cabinets. "It is also necessary for natural repair and maintenance processes." He had certainly been under stress that night at Kaname's. He would have to eat extra portions for a month to make up for that!

There were still a fair number of MREs left. They served his needs perfectly. The pre-packaged chow he had was tasty, healthy, and suitably nutritious. Knowing the psychological benefits to good food, the U.S. military had spent an inordinate amount of time and effort creating good meals for its troops.

"Restriction of food and nutrients leads to rapid weight loss," Sousuke said, flipping through the various packages. "That in turn leads to which leads to loss of strength, decreased endurance, loss of motivation, and decreased mental alertness." He frowned. Kissing had led to a loss of strength in his legs and decreased mental alertness. He wasn't certain about his motivation yet. Kaname had hinted that kissing might wear him out.

"The change in her came suddenly. Could it be mental illness? Some kind of trick?" He came close to banging his head on the open cabinet door. "What if that is someone impersonating Kaname?" He sighed. He was being foolish. There had been some hints that her feelings had been changing subtly. He had ignored them. He had thought he had a good reason.

Sousuke turned his attention back to his food supplies. What did he wish to eat this morning? Beefsteak with Mushrooms and Western Beans? Pork Rib and Clam Chowder? Beef Ravioli and Potato Sticks? Country Captain Chicken and Buttered Noodles? Chicken Breast and Minestrone Stew? Chicken with Thai Sauce and Wild Rice Pilaf? Beef Patty and Nacho Cheese Pretzels? He was out of Chili and Macaroni; Pasta with Vegetables in Tomato Sauce; Black Bean & Rice Burrito; and his favorite, Beef Teriyaki.

He stood a few moments, turning one package over in his hand, before realizing that he had become lost in thought again. That was not like him. He was looking forward to seeing Kaname again that morning. He hoped that such feelings would not get in the way of his performing his duties.

Forcing himself to be more focused, he unwrapped the package and began taking out its contents. He placed a flexible pouch containing an 8-ounce serving of chicken and sauce on his counter top. The entrée was followed by a flameless heater, a box labeled 'Yellow and Wild Rice Pilaf,' and a foil package of crackers. Those in turn were pushed aside to make space for a 37 gram Nutra Fruit cereal bar and packets of spiced cider drink, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, and grape jelly. He picked up a sealed bag of M&Ms, leaving the towelettes, matches, toilet paper, and spoon in the box.

"These are _not _enough for a meal," Sousuke said, opening the candy. He never had a sweet tooth before. But, after Kaname had introduced him to Pocky, he found himself eating pastries and the like at school. He dropped a few, watching them bounce across the floor. "This daydreaming must stop…"

The young mercenary soldier placed the uneaten M&Ms on the counter. He stared at them for a moment, thinking about them in a manner that few consumers ever would. M&Ms are an example of a food product designed around the rigors of military life. He knew that they were born against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.

Legend has it that on a trip to Spain, Forrest Mars had encountered soldiers who were eating pellets of chocolate that were encased in a hard sugary coating to prevent them from melting. Inspired by this idea, he went back to his kitchen and invented the recipe for M&M's Chocolate Candies. They were later a favorite of American GIs serving in World War II, and were available to troops before becoming widely available to the public.

"I know a lot about things of little significance," Sousuke said. "But, I know so little about people." That was changing slowly. A seed did not become a tree overnight. He had to be patient.

He placed his MRE entrée into a bag, and poured in water until it reached a certain mark. Holding the bag upright, he allowed the chemicals in the flameless heater to soak up the water. The water would cause oxidation of the magnesium dust, resulting in enough heat to have things bubbling and steaming within seconds. After propping the bag against one wall, he headed off to get dressed.

After placing his school supplies in his carrying bag, Sousuke checked the clips in his Glock 17 and TMP. Finding some room for a couple of grenades next to his bundle of sharpened pencils, he turned his eyes on his school outfit. He had trade one kind of uniform for another. When he first heard about his mission, he had been very unhappy. What did he know about High School? He was a teen by age only.

Sousuke picked up a spare clip and turned it over in his hand, running his finger along the smooth edges. Things were indeed changing. He had begun to get used to the things that someone his age took for granted: academic tests, PE class, tedious instructors, and girls. On the surface, that sounded wonderful, as it would improve his cover and help him blend in better. But, that wasn't all it did. It would be hard to leave those things behind, when his true talents were needed full time. It would be even harder to leave a particular person behind.

"I shouldn't have let her kiss me," Sousuke said, touching his lips. "I never should have kissed her back." He began slipping on his clothing with a heavy heart. Being a teenager brought change and difficult decisions. To stay with Mithril, his foster family, he would need to walk away from Kaname Chidori some day. To stay with her, he would have to leave the service, letting go of what little security he had in his life. "It's not fair for her either."

He wasn't very knowledgeable, when it came to family. His memory of his parents was sketchy at best. But, he did know that the death of Kaname's mother had hurt her dearly. Staying behind in Japan when her father and sister moved back to America had been difficult too. How would she feel if she grew closer to him, and they had to be parted? It was his duty to protect her, _wasn't_ it? Did that simply mean her body, or did it include her heart, too?

"Time will tell," Sousuke said to himself. "No decision needs to be made today." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Sometimes, the unexpected happens during missions." He felt his spirits lifting a bit after that. There was no reason to obsess too much on negative things. He had to be at his best today, for himself and Kaname.

_Unexpected._

There was a knock at his door, soon followed by two more. Who could that be at this hour? Kaname? Not knowing that he was doing so, Sousuke began humming 'Lied der Panzertruppen' as he walked towards the door. He also didn't realize that he was puckering his lips, practicing how to kiss. He was doing just that when he opened the door.

The sight he saw left him frozen in mid-pucker. All his daydreaming was blown away, like the garbage on the beach during a typhoon. His control of bodily functions was sorely tested, and he was intensely aware of a tic in his left eye.

"C-C-Commander…" Sousuke snapped to attention, finding Cmdr. Richard Mardukas standing outside his door. _That_ was unexpected, to say the least. There had been no prior mention.

"May I come in, Sergeant Sagara? Or, are you going to let a superior officer remain standing in the hallway?" It was more an order than a question.

"**Come in, Sir!" **Sousuke quickly stood aside, and then followed the naval officer back into his apartment.

"I see that things are as dreary as they were the last time I came by." Cmdr. Mardukas sneered, tightening his tie. Brushing off his suit jacket, he turned to pierce Sousuke with a fierce look. "This is unacceptable. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will not be able to direct you in the proper decoration for this room. I only hope that the sordid appearance of your abode does not unduly influence her."

"H-H-Her?" Sousuke began to sweat heavily. Shocked at seeing his superior, he had forgotten to sweat up until that point.

"I'm quite certain you know who I mean, Sergeant." Mardukas' face became even more frightening. "Just as I am certain that you will remember everything I told you the last time _she _visited Tokyo." He took out a cloth and began polishing his eyeglasses. "The promise to fire you from a torpedo tube along with a full load of explosives still stands."

"Y-Y-Yes, S-S-Sir…" Sousuke closed his eyes. He knew exactly who Cmdr. Mardukas must mean.

"May I come in now, Commander?" That was Tessa's voice. She was standing in the doorway, framed by two bulky men in dark clothes and sunglasses. "There's not a lot of time left, and I need to get dressed for class."

"Certainly, Madame Captain." Cmdr. Mardukas made a small gesture to the guards. They took up position just outside the door. "The accommodations are substandard, but that should not come as a surprise, seeing who lives here."

"Hello, Sergeant." Tessa smiled brightly, playing with her ponytail. "Are you surprised to see me again?" Her face pinked up some. "We had so much fun together, that I decided to spent my break here again this time. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke felt like a mouse staring inside a lion's mouth. The growling noise coming from Cmdr. Mardukas could have frightened the King of the Jungle and any know species of rodent. "B-B-By together… the Captain also means Miss Chidori and all of our classmates…"

"For your sake, I _hope_ so." Cmdr. Mardukas said, his eyes flashing.

"Oh, Sousuke… you have Pocky…" Tessa clapped her hands. Her use of 'Sousuke' instead of 'Sergeant' or 'Sagara' added a double load of explosives to the torpedo tube in the Commander's imagination. "Could we share one when I finish showering?" She smiled. "After I get dressed, of course."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard. Tessa probably meant breaking one in half, the two of them eating their share separately. He couldn't help but think back to the party at Kaname's place, or their subsequent study session. "Uhhh…"

"We need to leave now, in order to reach the helicopter before its designated take-off time." Cmdr. Mardukas pushed his glasses further up his nose. His voice was very pleasant. That signaled potential danger the same way that the glowing numbers on a bomb timer did. "You will take good care of our Captain. It would take far less money to arrange for a military funeral, than it would to maintain a sergeant's stipend."

It took Sousuke a while to catch his breath when the other men finally left. His pulse was still racing when there was another knock at the door. He froze, causing the person to knock again.

"K-K-Kaname…" Sousuke began sweating again, seeing her standing there, school bag in one hand and a box in the other. "G-G-G-…"

"Good morning to you too, silly." Kaname smiled a bright smile. "I had some food left over after last night. I was wondering if you might like to eat breakfast together. There's still time."

"I… there's… it's…" Sousuke squared his shoulders and made a supreme effort to regain his composure. The sense of déjà vu was suffocating. "I have an MRE warming." That wasn't what he had wanted to say. If he came out and mentioned Tessa unprompted, Kaname would be far less suspicion than she would if…

"Is everything OK, Sousuke?" It was Tessa naturally. Without looking, Sousuke correctly guessed that she was dressed in a towel.

"Tessa?" Kaname's eyes went wide. Then, they narrowed. _"Sous_-kaaay…"

"I… she… " Sousuke wiped his brow. "It was unexpected." Her bowed. "You probably just missed Commander Mardukas on his way out. He informed me that the Captain wishes to spend more time at our school."

"Isn't that great?" Tessa had her usual sweet smile, but there was a definite challenge in her eyes when she met Kaname's gaze. "You don't have to spend the night, if you don't want." She didn't mention the fact that Melissa Mao would be stopping by prior to the end of the school day.

"I'll leave that up to Sousuke," Kaname said, smiling just as sweetly. The menace in her statement had Sousuke feeling the same way he had when Mardukas was there.

"I suppose I should get dressed then." Tessa flipped her wet hair and disappeared from view.

"I _suppose_…" Kaname growled, and then turned to look at Sousuke. "For your sake, I hope you didn't share any Pocky with her."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke swallowed hard again. "Pocky?"

"_Pocky!" _Kaname said, poking him in the chest. "**P**…**O**…**C**…**K**…**Y**." She straightened the collar on his uniform. "I think you can remember what Pocky is, _right _Sousuke?" That last was said in a lower voice. She patted his cheek.

"Affirmative," Sousuke said. "I have not eaten any Pocky since your last visit." He wondered why he answered in such detail. It wasn't as if Kaname was keeping count or something.

"Good," Kaname said, taking Sousuke's hand and leading him back inside. "I can confirm that when I do my count." She hugged Sousuke when he made a shocked face. "Like I would really do something that paranoid." She raised one eyebrow. "Where's the box?" She looked over on the table. The Pocky was still there. She went and retrieved one wrapped cookie, without bothering to see how many were left. "Want to share one before Little Miss Captain comes back out?" She was only teasing. While she might give anything to have Tessa catch them in a kiss, she would never do that to Sousuke. Well, not first thing in the morning.

"If you wish," Sousuke said, trying to use his new found talent at banter. "However, to be chivalrous, I would have to offer the same thing to my other guest." He managed to keep a straight face.

"_What?" _Kaname put her hands on her hips. Her eyes looked to be heavy with lightning. The storm soon passed. "In some ways, I liked you when you were less talkative." She tossed her hair, but couldn't keep from smiling. Daring fate, she ran over and gave Sousuke a quick peck on the cheek. "Hmmm. Too bad I didn't put lipstick on."

"I'm ready," Tessa said, stepping out into the room. "Do you like this?" She did a slow turn, showing off her new school uniform."

"No," Kaname answered automatically. "He doesn't."

"Sousuke?" Tessa batted her eyelashes. She thought about doing a curtsy.

"I believe it is in our best interest to head off for school," Sousuke said. "We will not wish to be late." He walked over and grabbed his school bag. Not waiting for anyone else, he headed out through the door. He didn't answer when Tessa called out "But what about your breakfast?"

Eventually, the three of them reached school without incident. Kaname had made a big show of taking Sousuke's hand, feeling no need to say that they were almost and sort of dating. Not one to back down from that kind of challenge, Tessa walked over and grabbed hold of her subordinate's other hand. By the time they all walked up the front steps to Jindai High, Sousuke's uniform was drenched with sweat.

As one might have expected, Tessa's return to the school had everyone in a tizzy. She had won the hearts of everyone during her previous stay. Sousuke was faced once more with a situation where he had to put more effort in safeguarding his Captain than he did looking after his charge. If Kaname had made herself a Voodoo doll, he would have been in a lot of pain.

Lunch time saw a huge crowd of girls and guys standing around Tessa. It was almost as if she were the belle at some ball. Sousuke sat quietly, munching on an Apple Cinnamon flavor HOOAH, the commercial version of an energy bar created for the U.S. Military. Kaname sat next to him, stabbing her bento with a pair of chopsticks, looking over at Tessa with a sour look on her face. How could things get worse than this?

She and Sousuke were about to find out.

"Really? A Slumber party? Truth and Dare?" Tessa turned to look over at Sousuke. "Sousuke was there? I never heard anything about it?" That was a little white lie. It would serve as a very nice lead in to her next question. "What happened?" Her interest wasn't feigned. She knew where Sousuke had been, but had no idea what had taken place before the attempted kidnapping.

"We all promised not to talk about it," Maya said.

"Especially since there was some shooting involved." Ryo added that in a whisper.

"You're kidding!" Tessa pretended to be shocked. "How exciting."

"Not as exciting as the game," Mizuki said, before taking an elbow in the gut from Maya.

"You _have _to tell me," Tessa said. "Please. We can wait until the crowd thins." She pleaded with her eyes. "You girls are so lucky to be able to have that kind of fun." She sighed. "I wish I could…"

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't really hurt," Ryo said.

"You want to bet?" Kaname walked over, daring any of her friends to say a thing more. "There will be absolutely _no_ talk about slumber parties, Truths, or Dares."

"I'm sorry," Tessa said, tugging at her hair. "I keep forgetting that I'm an outsider. I didn't want to intrude." She got up, wiped at one eye, and started to walk quickly away. That ought to work.

"Good job, Kaname." Maya gave her friend a disapproving look.

"Hey, wait!"Mizuki walked after Tessa. Ryo and Maya joined her. Not long after that, Ren and the other girls joined them. Only Kyouko stood hovering between Kaname and her other classmates.

"It appears that your friends listen to you as well as I do," Sousuke said. It was an unwise observation at a inopportune time. The throbbing in his kicked calf was clear proof of that.

**"Baka!"**Kaname could have meant Sousuke, Tessa, or any of her friends. She turned and gave Sousuke a smirk. "It won't be much trouble for me, Sousuke. _You're_ the one who needs to worry, right?"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke thought about firing off his sidearm, to disperse the chattering girls. No. He could deal with the school officials. But, if Cmdr. Mardukas got wind of something like that, his goose would be cooked, loaded into a firing chamber, and shot far off into the deepest depths of the sea.

"So, he was busy studying for a Japanese History test, but somehow ended up on Kaname's balcony without any socks?" Tessa grinned.

"And without any underwear," one girl added. "Not that we checked."

"It really _was_ kind of sweet," Ryo said. "Kaname had lied to him, and he thought she was in some kind of danger."

"We talked him into staying to play Truth or Dare," Kyouko said, flinching when Kaname looked at her.

"That's right," Maya stated. "We wanted to find out if he and Kaname routinely met that way at night. _If_ you know what I mean."

"Did you?" Tessa asked, bringing her hands up to her chest. "Find out, I mean…"

"Well, not really." Mizuki shrugged. "I kind of doubt it. She wasn't treating him too nicely. What kind of guy wants a girl who does _that?"_

"I agree," Tessa said, chewing on her hair and looking over at Sousuke. She smiled, seeing the look on Kaname's face.

"Besides, we ended up having too much fun to worry about stuff like that," another girl blurted out. "I think the only reason that Kaname had him stay was that he made it look like she would prove she was afraid if she kicked him out."

"Pride," Maya said. "It can get her to do _anything." _She grinned a wicked grin. "Remember that, Sousuke."

"It wasn't all that fun at first," one girl said. "Sousuke was spouting all this stuff about the Edo period." She shook her head. "We came to the party to get away from that kind of thing."

"And to gossip," Ryo added. She went on to mention a number of the other things the girls had done before a certain boy showed up out of nowhere. That had Tessa looking wistful.

"Tell her about Sousuke's dancing!" One girl sounded very excited. She ducked out of view when everyone turned to look at her.

"Ohhh?" Tessa's eyes went wide. "I definitely want to hear about _that." _She smiled, seeing half of Sousuke's protein bar break off in his hand.

"That happened later," Maya said. "No one here will ever forget it." She ran a hand through her hair. "The first fun came thanks to Mizuki. She brought up the obvious fact that Sousuke wasn't wearing pajamas at a pajama party."

"I loaned him my pajama top," one girl said.

"And he wore my pajama pants," another put in.

"Scandalous," Tessa said. "What happened next?"

"We wanted to give him a make-over; but, he wouldn't let us." Ryo made a face at Sousuke. She ignored the slashing gesture that Kaname made across her throat. "Ohhh… I guess we should mention the way that we stuffed socks in Kaname's mouth…" She made her own gesture in return.

"That sounds like a very good idea," Tessa remarked. She tried to look innocent when Kaname stood up, glaring at her.

"Don't forget the grenade!" Ryo grinned. It didn't seem so embarrassing now. At least not for her. Some of the other girls began coughing.

"Grenade?" Tessa frowned. "Did he set one off, or do something inappropriate with it?"

"No," one girl noted. "Someone asked 'Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see Mizuki?' It was a joke. You know." She watched Tessa turn pink. "Sousuke asked if he should take the thing out to show us, saying it was larger than necessary, and that size didn't really matter."

"Yes," another girl said. "He said what was important was how one used such a thing." She thought back to the party, surprised by her feeling of nostalgia. "He said that he would let anyone handle it who wanted to, as long as they do not cause it to explode."

"Are you OK, Tessa?" Kyouko put out a hand to steady the wobbling girl.

"It's… I just… I'm fine." Tessa bit her lip, looking over at Sousuke again. "Go on…"

"Hey, your name came up too!" Mizuki snapped her fingers. When Tessa asked her explain, she continued. "Sousuke mentioned something about you and the beach. He also said that both you and Kaname slept over at his place." She waved her hands frantically for a moment. "But, he said it wasn't… well… you know…"

"What did he say about the beach?" Tessa, was looking down at her lap, tugging hard on her hair. There was a faraway look in her eyes.

"It's _not _important," Kaname called from where she sat. "It had _nothing_ to do with the party." She looked over at Sousuke. "Not a word. Not a _single_ word." She attacked her remaining lunch with a renewed vigor.

"I remember one of my favorite parts," a girl said. "I thought he was going to faint when we asked him if he was going to pull on our breasts."

"But, that just had him mentioning one of his dumb quotes," another girl said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"What was the quote, Sousuke?" Tessa asked.

"Uhhh…" Sousuke looked over at Kaname. When she said "Go ahead" in a testy voice, he did so. "For every dark night, there's a bright day after that. So, no matter how hard it gets, keep your head up, stick your chest out, and… uhhh… handle it."

"Sousuke said that?" Tessa looked surprised. _"That _Sousuke said that?" She pointed.

"Yup," Ryo said.

"The guy's an animal," another girl claimed. "Don't let his clueless act fool you." She smiled. "Kaname wasn't too happy. She dumped a bowl of Jello on his head. Or was it the pizza that time?"

"Jello," Maya said. "The pizza came after he asked her if she was angry at his statement, thinking it might be an order." She smiled. "He said that for her, it is unnecessary, because her chest stuck out on it's own."

"I see," Tessa said, frowning. She looked down at her own chest. Her frown deepened when Ren mentioned that the pizza actually came after Sousuke asserted that one of his conditions for getting a make-over would be for the girls to show cleavage the way that Miss Melissa was prone to do.

A number of the girls spoke up after that, mentioning some of the various Truths and Dares. That had Tessa sitting with a forlorn look on her face, feeling left out. She tried to put on a bright face, but it took more and more of an effort. Watching her, Kaname first felt pleased, but soon found herself feeling sorry for the other Whispered girl. Tessa had a lot sitting on her shoulders, but didn't have much of an opportunity to make friends.

"Sousuke told us that he had been swimming naked with girls," ayoung womansaid. Sousuke opned his mouth to say "as a child," but someone else spoke first.

"And, taht he'd spent a lot of time around prostitutes," Ryo said. "Strip clubs, too." Once again, the young soldier couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"He kissed Mizuki…" Maya mentioned. _"Again."_

"You should have seen his ballet routine!" Mizuki didn't want to be reminded about either of her kisses with Sousuke. "And the part where he was asking Ren and the other girls if they liked his derriere."

"I would have like to see _that_, too…" Tessa said. "The whole thing, I mean." She felt a bit short of breath. "I can't believe that all happened at one party."

"That's just the beginning," Kyouko said. "I'll be right back. She ran off to get the photographs that neither Kaname nor Sousuke had any idea existed.

"What did she mean?" Tessa looked over at Sousuke again. For a moment, she wondered if a Captain of a submarine could have a Truth or Dare party onboard. There was little chance of that, even if it met the criteria for proper naval etiquette if Commander Mardukas was on board. She giggled, picturing that stern and proper man in girl's pajamas.

Someone mentionedhow Kaname had pushed Sousuke and he tripped, accidentally groping two sleeping girls. Another girl wondered what had happened on the balcony after that, telling their visitor the things that Sousuke had let slip later.

"Care to tell us what happened out in the dark, Miss Chidori?" Tessa wasn't certain that she really wanted to know.

"No!"Kaname said. "Neither does Sousuke." Under her breath she added "Not if he knows what's good for him."

Sousuke, for his part, was taking things remarkably well, or so it seemed. Appearances can be deceiving. He was not concerned about Kaname's worsening mood, even though he might end up paying for it later, guilty or not. Captain Testarossa was at school again. That would make his life difficult, and promised another stretch of sleepless nights and sickness. Still, he could handle that much. He had done so before.

There was one very big difference, however.

During her prior stay, Tessa had not heard about everything that had happened at a pajama party. First, he felt mortified, even though he no longer considered his Captain to be a goddess. Second, and more important, the thought of Kurz and Melissa finding out had him perched at the very edge of hysteria.

"There was also the perfume contest," Ren mentioned.

"What was his favorite?" Tessa asked. When one girl told her 'Carnal Flowers,' she asked if she could borrow a pencil. Kaname looked ready to chew steel and spit tacks when she saw all of her so-called friends rush to find something for Tessa to write with. Looking over at Kaname, the smaller girl winked.

Kaname narrowed her eyes. There was a way to deal with that. She slid over to lean against Sousuke. Sure, it was a bit dangerous, with her friends watching. What the hell. Life's too short. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

The pencil in Tessa's hand snapped. She tapped one of the pieces in her palm while the girls all began whispering amongst themselves.

"I'll tell you what the best 'Truth' of the night was," Maya said, bringing everyone's attention back to the Truth or dare game. "No so much for the question itself, but for the Dares it caused."

"I know the one," Ryo said. "It was 'If you were to drink your fill of wine from someone's mouth, who would you choose?'"

"Kaname had to walk around the room acting like a chicken for a whole minute," Mizuki said, the mother of all smiles on her face.

"That must have been wonderful," Tessa said. "It seems so… well… appropriate."

"Are you going to kiss me again, Kaname?" Sousuke might be clueless much of the time, but he had correctly deduced why Kaname had been acting affectionate out in public. He also remembered what had happened the last time the two girls had been vying for his attention. Lying incapacitated in bed, he had ended up with a bowl of hot porridge dumped on his face.

"Be quiet, Sousuke!"Kaname said, pinching him hard on the thigh.

"After that, Sousuke had to take a Dare." Kyouko had returned. Without letting Kaname see her, she passed the pictures over to Tessa. She almost dropped the whole stack, seeing one shot where a couple of intoxicated girls where stuffing money down Sousuke's pants.

"Chippendales," one girl said. Her smile vanished when she saw that she was one of those drunk girls in the picture.

"You don't know what you missed," another girl said to Tessa. "But, that wasn't the last of it." She went on to describe Sousuke being questioned about his preference in women's bodies.

"Your name came up again," Ryo said. "Thanks to Mizuke."

"Hey!" Mizuki wasn't too thrilled about being dragged into things again. "Kyouko started it. She said that you were pretty, trying to tease Kaname." She looked over at Kyouko for corroboration. Hearing none, she turned to Maya. "Maya asked whether Sousuke would prefer a small, pretty petite girl like you, or a larger chunkier girl like Kaname." She faced Ryo. "And you were in on the act, too." She looked over at Tessa. "Ryo asked if Sousuke liked a girl with a nice small round tush like yours, or…" She was interrupted.

"I think we all get the picture," Kaname said. "Let's not drag things down in the gutter." She paused. "In case you're wondering, he chose me. _Hmmmpppfff." _She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her nose in the air.

Maya and Ryo both tried to bring up Mizuki's fruit routine, but the other girls had already moved on to a different part of the story. Tessa looked out of sorts when they told her what happened with Spin the Bottle and the Pocky. She fidgeted when she heard about the repeated pile-ons and the fact that Kaname had been pressed up against Sousuke.

"Should I tell Tessa about my saluting," Sousuke said, rubbing the area where Kaname had pinched him. That was no way to treat a Specialist.

"What do you mean… saluting…" Kaname didn't catch on at first. Thinking back to what happened, she became bright red. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. "If you do… you will never salute again..." She motioned with her finger over her chest area. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Be quiet, Kaname." Sousuke actually grinned. That was the only thing that kept Kaname from exacting her retribution then and there. It would come later for sure. He didn't care. Some costly victories were worth the price one had to pay.

"Y-… Y-… Y-…" Kaname just shut her mouth. She had been hoping for a more vocal Sousuke for quite a while. There was a reason that people had to be careful what they wished for.

Tessa didn't bat an eye when she heard about the condoms. Melissa had clued her in to that little secret during one of their baths in Da Danaan's giant tub. She embarrassed herself by snorting, when she heard about Sousuke's karaoke routine. "Sousuke, could you sing the Teapot song for me?"

"Negative," Sousuke said, beginning to sweat. What would he do if the Captain ordered him to do that later? He pictured a red-faced Cmdr. Mardukas shouting at him: 'What do you mean you refused a direct order? Take him to the brig!'

"Please," Maya said.

"It was _so-o-o-o-o _cute," Ryo added, clasping her hands together.

"I'd like to see it again too, Sousuke." Kaname gave him a haughty look. He should no better than to try and get the better of her.

"No," Sousuke said firmly. "If I showed you, I'd have to kill you." He kicked his school bag. It was anyone's guess what he might have hidden in there.

"Hah hah hah," Mizuki said. "That's a very funny joke."

"_Joke?" _Sousuke scratched his head. In all actuality he was joking. But, he had spoken in his usual deadpan manner. That raised some doubt. Even a small amount of uncertainty could be costly around him, so the girls let the matter drop.

The day seemed to pass quickly after that. On the walk home, Tessa stopped and stretched. She played with her ponytail for a few moments, staring at Sousuke.

"Captain?" Sousuke asked.

"Sergeant Sagara," Tessa said, trading rank for rank. "Sgt. Major Mao and Sgt. Weber do not know about the slumber party, _do_ they?" She pursed her lips. "The details, I mean."

"C-… C-… Captain?" Sousuke froze.

"I bet they don't," Tessa said. "Neither of them could have kept _that_ kind of secret. It would be all over Da Danaan by now." She smiled. "Not to mention Sydney and Merida Island."

"Captain… what… I don't…" Sousuke was at a loss for words. Why had Tessa brought that up?

"You're not going to blackmail him, _are_ you?" Kaname looked like she was getting angry. "That's low"

"Who said anything about blackmail?" Tessa tried to look innocent. She failed miserably. "I was just curious." She started walking again. "But, you know, there _is_ one thing I would like to do while I'm in Tokyo."

"What?" Kaname was quite certain that she didn't want to know the answer.

"I would be fun to have a Truth or Party," Tessa said. "It's always nice when _everyone_ has secrets, isn't it?"

"Uhhh…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**FINIS**


	11. Special Bonus Finale

The sound of high heals echoing through the corridor of the world's most advanced submarine sounded out of place somehow.

But, that was nothing compared to the something that the crew of the _Tuatha Da Danaan_ had long since learned to take for granted. The designer of that miraculous craft was a teenage girl. Not only that, the petite and soft-spoken young woman was also the Captain of their vessel.

Tessa entered her cabin, holding a keycard in her hand. She had just returned from running a maintenance check on the TAROS, and needed to put the key back in her safe.

"I'll have to do it some day…" She hesitated, hand inches away from the combination lock. Thinking about the _Transfer and Response Omni Sphere_ had led her to think about Arbalest again. Sousuke Sagara's mental pattern had been imprinted on the ARX-7s pseudo-nervous system via the TAROS. As a result, the machine would accept no one else as its operator. "But today is not the day to think about it…"

As an officer in Mithril, and someone with an inordinate amount of responsibility resting on her shoulders, she needed to do what was best for the organization. That meant putting the most valuable assets in the places with the highest priority. Sgt. Sagara would _not_ want to hear that. He might very well challenge his removal from a mission that was ineffective and uncertain, and could best be left under the aegis of the Intelligence Division. But, previous encounters had demonstrated just how crucial the Lamba Driver was, seeing how the enemy had similar technology.

She didn't look forward to the confrontation that must surely come. Worse, she felt terribly guilty, thinking back to the time she had spent at Kaname's apartment, enjoying a Truth or Dare party that she had essentially forced on her fellow Whispered. True, Kaname had ended up enjoying herself a great deal too, but that didn't remove any of the sting.

"They'll both be here today," Tessa mused, opening the safe. Putting the keycard away, she picked up two photographs. She couldn't help but smile seeing one and sigh seeing the other. The picture of her and Sousuke on the beach had been safely squirreled away for a number of months. The picture from the party was relatively new. It showed Sousuke, a lampshade on his head, surrounded by girls. She was sitting on his lap. A rather perturbed looking Kaname was being held back by her friends. Priceless.

The intercom on her desk buzzed. Her face immediately grew warm when she heard the voice. It was Cmdr. Mardukas. She would never let him see the photographs that she was clutching to her breast. Just hearing his voice made her feel guilty, as if there were a thousand eyes staring at her.

"Madame Captain, we have word from Flight Control. The helicopter with our guest is in range. We await your order for surfacing and preparation for retrieval."

"I'm on my way," Tessa said. This time, they were in no rush. Unless the radar detection officers saw something that was worrisome, there was no reason that they couldn't take the rotary wing aircraft onboard. It wasn't as if there was no choice, with the two of them skydiving from a small propeller driven aircraft. "It might be more fun that way…" She tugged at her ponytail, thinking back to the things that the underwater microphone had picked up when Kaname Chidori and St. Sagara were brought on board before.

Leaving her cabin, she made her way towards the bridge. For no apparent reason, she fell. Picking herself back up again, she cursed her clumsiness. At least there was no one there to see it this time. She had done the same thing with Kaname watching before, back when they were celebrating Dan Danaan's One Year birthday. The crew had wanted to pay its respects to the young woman who had helped save two of its own.

"I still can't believe that they're gone." Tessa thought of officers McKaren and Laing, killed by the traitors Gwen and Dannigan when Gauron staged his take-over. She put her hand to her cheek, remembering the chaste kiss that the one man had given her, after winning the game of Bingo.

The crew had petitioned her for a party. They wanted to celebrate the fact that they had survived the attempted sea-jacking, and they wanted to honor the memories of their fallen comrades. Tessa wiped a tear from her eye, remembering how she had felt reviewing the crew after the TDD-1 had docked at its island base. She had called out McKaren's name, but there is no reply. Cmdr. Marducas told her that was 'on patrol'. The same was said for Laing.

Things went smoothly after that. When the incoming helicopter had landed securely in the submarine's hold, Tessa left the bridge to welcome the arrivals. As she passed by the small commons room, Kurz Weber stepped out into the hall. Not far behind him, Melissa Mao followed.

"Hey! Tess-_sa-a-a_…" Kurz smiled until Melissa cuffed him hard in the back of the head. "I mean, Captain." He pretended to sound more dignified, but his eyes were alight with mischief. "Are you ready for the party? I'm going to be the Master of Ceremonies again."

Tessa kept walking without saying a word. That was usually the best way to handle Sgt. Weber. If things threatened to get too far out of hand, Sgt. Major Mao would keep him in line.

"Remember last time," Kurz said. "You said 'Anything that I can do to help, I will...'" He chuckled. "First prize was a kiss, instead of your panties… **_owww_**…"

"Asshole!" Melissa pushed Kurz hard into a bulkhead, flattening his face against the cold steel. "Tessa is _not_ going to be the prize for your stupid Bingo game."

"What if I can rig it so that a certain young sergeant can win," Kurz drawled. "Wouldn't you like to kiss someone like _that?"_

Tessa stumbled but didn't fall. She thought back to the party at Kaname's place. One of the partygoers had dared her to kiss Sousuke then. It was all part of the game. She wasn't about to chicken out in front of those girls. She left that for Kaname, who was made to do her chicken routine again. Smiling, she continued to ignore Kurz.

"It would really be a coup in front of a certain Angel, _wouldn't_ it?" Kurz dodged under Melissa's swing. "Can't you just picture the look on her face?"

Tessa kept walking. She tried her best not to smile, knowing that would be like showing fear to a dog, or dropping blood into shark-infested waters. Fact of the matter, she could picture how Kaname might look, having seen just that.

Indeed. She had a treasure trove of memories, from all sorts of Truths and Dares involving Sousuke, Kaname, and herself. When one girl challenged Sousuke to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the visiting student, Sousuke had broken out in a tremendous amount of sweat, and Kaname told him to be very careful where he put his hands. When Tessa had unexpectedly bent her knees, those hands went somewhere that Sousuke hadn't intended them to go.

That had been wonderful. But, it was far less scandalous than the Pocky. She had tried to dare Sousuke to eat a cookie with her, but the Umpire wouldn't allow it. However, the idea firmly implanted in the other girls' heads, someone else hit Sousuke with just the same Dare. She never got a second kiss that way, since Kaname pressured Sousuke into accepting the group's punishment, threatening something much worse and longer lasting if he took the Dare.

"Why are you blushing, Tessa?" Kurz had proven himself part dog and part shark. "Are you thinking about our returning hero?" He ran in front of the diminutive Captain, walking backwards so that he could study her face. That won him a door to the back of the head, when someone stepped out of a service hatch unexpectedly.

The girls had agreed that Sousuke needed to get down on all fours and get paddled with a large wooden spatula. Tessa was elected to be the spanker. The girls ganged up on him and pulled down his trousers just as she was about to begin. Finding it hard to believe that she had actually gone through with things, Tessa slipped and fell hard. Melissa glared at Kurz, as if she blamed _him_ for the occurrence.

As the three of them walked into the hangar area, they caught sight of Sousuke and Kaname climbing down a short ladder from the helicopter, the main rotor blades of which were slowing to a stop. Kurz whistled and waved. He ran to give the blue-haired girl a long hug, whispering things in her ear that had turn turning beet red.

"Welcome back, Sergeant Sagara." Tessa smiled a shy smile, lowering her eyes when she remembered what she had bee recently thinking. "And Miss…" She was interrupted.

"Ka-_naaaaa_-may," Kurz said, waving one hand effusively. "I bet you're glad to be back onboard again. We don't have any crazed maniacs for you to stop this time, but we _do_ have another party!" His smile promised nothing but trouble. "This year, I was thinking of having everyone doing the Chicken Dance." He flapped his elbows for a few moments and winked.

"Kurz…" Melissa's eyes narrowed and her features darkened.

"Wh-… Wh-… _What?"_ Kaname turned pale. Was that a coincidence, or did Kurz know something he shouldn't know? That wink left a small ball of fear growing in her belly. Furrowing her brow, she looked over at Tessa. She hadn't broken her promise and squealed, _had_ she?

"And Sousuke old buddy," Kurz said, taking out his wallet. He removed a few dollars bills. "You can help us out, too." He pulled on Sousuke's belt and stuffed the money down his pants. "We need something for the ladies, too."

"Uhhh…" Sousuke went entirely stiff. He felt as if he had just placed his weight on a pressure sensitive landmine. If he moved at all, he would explode.

"Kurz, I'm warning you…" Melissa clenched her fists.

"_Mis_-ter Weber!" Tessa blanched. She wondered where Kurz had heard things. Sousuke and Kaname both had acted shocked. In fact, the other girl looked as if she suspected her.

Naturally, Kurz couldn't stop there. He had been waiting for this moment for too long. Besides, he needed something to make the fruits of his labors worthwhile. He had placed a call to Shinj and promised him some classified A.S. footage, from everything but the ARX-7 itself. He had also phoned OnoD, bargaining with a collection of imported girlie magazines. They had both worked hard to pump the girls for as much information as they could get about the slumber party that Sousuke had crashed.

"Are you going to offer our guest some hospitality," Kurz asked. "Maybe some tea?" He put his arms I the position of a teapot and began humming the appropriate song.

Sousuke turned white. Kaname looked up at him, concerned. Tessa tugged furiously at her pony tail.

"This is your last warning, Weber…" Melissa laced her fingers together and cracked her knuckled. Usually that had the desired effect. Not this time.

"You might offer her some fruit, too." Kurz held his hands up in front of his chest, making that facetious suggestion. "I understand that you like apples, Tessa. But Kaname might prefer melons or large oranges." He looked over at Sousuke, who was involuntarily sliding down the ladder railing. "_Right_, stud?" He did a slow ballet spin.

"We trusted you!" Kaname glared at Tessa, clenching and unclenching her fists. She bit her lip, coming very close to saying 'We even had that party you asked for.' That would only throw kerosene on the fire.

"But… I didn't…" Tessa shook her head. "I never…"

"**That's it!"** Melissa grabbed a dodging Kurz, put him in a headlock, and then rammed him hard into a large barrel of aviation fuel. Needing to get her feelings of aggression out, she did it a number of times more, before kneeing him in the groin and pushing him down into a large flat vat of waste oil. "It was a couple of your classmates," she told Kaname. "Boys."

"Sousuke, I want you to remember those interrogation techniques you mentioned." Kaname made a face that had Melissa taking notes. "We'll need them when we get back."

"But Kaname, before you said…" Sousuke stopped when Kaname turned that look on him.

Kurz stood up, dripping large viscous strings of oil. He watched as Tessa led Sousuke and Kaname away. OnoD had earned himself a bonus edition, telling him something extremely juicy. While the boy had no idea of the details yet, he did report that there had been a second Truth or Dare party. That one had a rather special guest of honor.

So, they thought they had Kurz Weber down? Tessa was going to let Melissa get away with what she had done? How wrong they were. "Oh Cap-_tain-n-n-n_…" He grimaced, feeling some of the oil slide down into his pants. "I hope you'll let us know how the Truth or Dare party was."

Tessa slipped and fell again. Sousuke began sweating even more heavily. For good reason. Lt. Kalinin had just stepped out from behind a row of supply crates. The look on his face was a calm and proper as usual, but his eyes clearly said 'It's good to see that you have a human side after all, Sagara.' "Madame Captain, I need to discuss matters with Sergeant Sagara. There are thinks that we need to work out with Arbalest while he is aboard."

Seeing the commander of the SRT was not what had placed the icy grip of fear around Sousuke's heart. Another man had overheard Kurz Weber's comment.

"After that, I will wish to have some words with the sergeant as well," Cmdr, Mardukas said. "There's a matter of a torpedo tube that needs his attention." His face looked as if it had been carved from stone.

"Is there room for Sgt. Weber too, Sir?" Melissa asked

"We have more than one functioning tube, Sgt. Major." Cmdr. Mardukas' voice sounded like the door of a coffin being closed. He looked over at Kurz, whose appearance reminded hi of seabirds caught in an oil spill.

"And I believe that all of the M9s are in need of a good scrubbing," Kalinin put in. "After the sergeant has cleaned himself up first, of course." He fought a smile. "I'll inform the medical officer that she may have a customer, Sgt. Sagara."

Sousuke couldn't even open his mouth to say 'Uhhh'. Kaname looked over at Kurz, promising vengeance. Tessa looked down at her shoes, not able to meet Cmdr. Mardukas' eyes.

Later, Tessa, Kaname, and Sousuke found themselves mixing with the crew, as the party was about to begin. Sousuke still looked as if he had seen a ghost. Kaname looked a bit smug, having told Tessa that she had spent time alone with Sousuke in his cabin, doing everything that she could to help make him feel better. Tessa was too worried about what Kurz might do as MC to pay much attention.

"As you know, we have a very special guest with us again." Kurz stood up on the makeshift stage, a spot light shining down on him. "Miss Kaname Chidori." After the applause died down, he continued by saying "If we're very lucky, maybe we can convince her to sing again." That two was followed by clapping and whistles. "I've got her costume picked out…" He dangled something that he had risked life and limb to swipe. It was one of Melissa's skimpiest bathing suits.

"**_I'll kill him!"_** Melissa, Kaname, and Tessa said that at the exact same moment.

"But, that's not all. We have a great show for you again. Last time, we had a kiss by the lovely Captain as our grand prize." He struck a pose. "This time, we have the prize we didn't have before." He let something dangle from his other hand. It was a pair of woman's panties. He had spent a lot of money to bribe the Laundry Officer.

Tessa brought her hand to her mouth. Those were _hers!_ She had been told that they were lost.

"Sousuke, you came close to winning before." Kurz motioned and the spot light centered on his friend. "Maybe you can be the big winner this time." He struck and even grander pose. "Although, all you probably need to do is ask…"

"Uhhh…" Sousuke felt tense again. Kaname was giving him the evil eye, but it wasn't even his fault.

"Th-… Th-… That…" Tessa came close to passing out. She seriously considered calling for the MPs.

"His time will come," Melissa told the smaller woman. "More than once." She promised that Kurz would be walking funny for months to come.

"Before we get to Bingo, I have a question for you all." Kurz gave Sousuke a salute. "Who here wants to play Truth or Dare?"

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**THAT'S IT. FINIS. THE END**


End file.
